Durable antibacterial cotton fabrics based on synergy of bacterial repellence and bactericidal action

The development of textiles with durable antifouling and antibacterial properties is essential to inhibit many healthcare-associated infections and fulfill the increasing demand for public health. However, it is a challengeable task to build high-performance antibacterial surfaces on fabrics without compromise of their intrinsic serviceability in an eco-friendly way. Herein, we reported the fabrication of durable antibacterial cotton fabrics through a one-bath pad−dry−cure technology by using eco-friendly quaternized short perfluoroalkyl polymer/Ag nanocomposite particles (qf-polymer/Ag NCPs) as the finishing agents. Each fiber of the finished cotton fabrics was covered by a low surface energy thin qf-polymer/Ag composite film (CF), allowing the finished fabrics to keep the intrinsic serviceability of fabrics for a comfortable wearing feeling. The qf-polymer/Ag CF-coated cotton fabrics demonstrated a superior long-term broad-spectrum antibacterial ability against normal and multiple drug resistant bacteria. An antibacterial mechanism of the qf-polymer/Ag CF-coated cotton fabrics based on the synergism of qf-polymers, Ag NPs, and textile structure was proposed. This work provides an inspiring insight into the design and fabrication of advanced durable antibacterial surfaces on fabrics.