Photosynthesis of Carboxymethyl Starch-Stabilized Silver Nanoparticles and Utilization to Impart Antibacterial Finishing for Wool and Acrylic Fabrics

Abstract

The water soluble photoinitiator (PI) 4-(trimethyl ammonium methyl) benzophenone chloride/UV system is used in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Green synthesis method involved using PI/UV system, carboxymethyl starch (CMS), silver nitrate, and water. AgNPs obtained had a spherical shape morphology and a size of 1–7 nm. To impart antibacterial properties, wool and acrylic fabrics were treated with AgNPs obtained. The PI/UV system was further utilized to fix AgNPs onto wool and acrylic fabrics by photocrosslinking to impart durable antibacterial properties. The effect of irradiation time on the antibacterial performance before and after repeated washing cycles was studied. S. aureus (as G +ve) and E. coli (as G −ve) were used to estimate the antibacterial performance of the finished fabrics. The antibacterial performance was directly proportional to the irradiation time but inversely proportional to the number of washing cycles. However, after the 15th washing cycle, samples still have bacteriostatic effect; that is, although they show zero inhibition zone, they cannot be attacked by the bacterial growth and do not inhibit the bacterial growth. AgNPs finished wool fabrics showed more antibacterial activity than those of AgNPs finished acrylic fabrics.