In vitro assessment of antibacterial potential and mechanical properties of Ag-TiO<inf>2</inf>/WPU on medical cotton optimized with response surface methodology

Abstract

© 2018, © 2018 Taylor & Francis. The environmental-friendly, economical, and simple one pot formulation for enhanced antibacterial and mechanical property finishing on medical cotton fabrics was successfully developed and optimized using a central composite design in conjunction with response surface methodology. It combines the concepts of in situ synthesis of AgNPs and photocatalytic property of TiO2 in waterborne polyurethane as the finishing emulsion without additional organic reducing or stabilizing agent. The optimal formulation with contents of AgNO3 (240 ppm) and TiO2 NPs (980 ppm) exhibited excellent antibacterial activities against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus with over 99% reduction and improved mechanical properties as well as non-toxicity to mammalian cells.