TiO<inf>2</inf>/rough surface of woven cotton fabrics prepared by spin coating for antibacterial and self-cleaning processes

TiO2 has been widely used in developing self-cleaning coatings on textiles. Spin coating is widely used to prepare films due to its simplicity and the ability to control the thickness and the characteristics of the deposited layers. However, it has been specifically used on smooth surfaces. The primary aim of this work was the application of spin coating method as an alternative way on a rough surface like woven cotton fabric. This rough surface was used as substrate for impregnation of TiO2 Degussa P-25 through the spin coating method (SC TiO2/cotton fabric) at different horizontal rotation speed (1000, 2000, 3000 rpm). These materials were used in the self-cleaning and bacterial inactivation. The SC TiO2/cotton fabrics were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), Fourier infrared transform spectroscopy - attenuated total reflectance accessory (FTIR- ATR), Ultraviolet—diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV/Vis—DRS) and X-ray fluorescence determination (XRF). The SC TiO2/cotton fabric obtained at 1000 rpm was the most efficient during wine discoloration process. The self-cleaning performance and the antibacterial activity of the SC TiO2/cotton fabric under Suntest irradiation was reached. No bacterial re-growth was found in the TiO2 coated fabrics by the method used. The SC TiO2/cotton fabric demonstrated complete bacterial inactivation performance for up to 5 cycles. This suggests a possible practical application of SC TiO2/cotton fabrics prepared by spin coating in the textile industry.