Tunable antibacterial activities and biosafety evaluation of photocatalytic nano-titania particles loaded on fabrics

We have witnessed booming demands in recent years from fabrics industry for desired antibacterial properties. In this essay, we are reporting the selection and characterization of photocatalytic nanosized TiO 2 particles for potential use in fabrics for antibacterial activities. The nanoparticles within a certain size range are simply immersing-loaded on the surfaces of fabrics to examine their physicochemical and antibacterial properties. Toxicity of the materials is evaluated by flow cytometry testing by using mouse fibroblasts. The results have shown that the efficient photocatalytic degradation of E. coli bacteria and the toxicity of the TiO 2 particles are size-dependent and concentration-dependent. The particles below 40 nm in size and higher than 50 μg/mL in concentration slightly harm the fibroblasts cells, while those above 40 nm in size and higher than 50 μg/mL in concentration do not deteriorate the behaviors of the cells. The easiness and cost efficiency of coating processing of the photocatalytic particles and their remarkable antibacterial activities will give insights into their widespread applications to combating infectious microorganisms in fabric industry. Graphical abstract