Superhydrophobic and Antibacterial Properties of Cotton Fabrics Coated with Copper Nanoparticles through Sonochemical Process

Cotton fabrics exhibiting superhydrophobic and antibacterial properties were prepared through sonochemical coating technique. Substantial amount of copper nanoparticles (Cu-NPs) could be deposited on the cotton fabric through sonochemical process using ultrasonic irradiation in water. The effects of Cu-NPs concentration, sonication time and NaOH concentration on the Cu-NPs coating behavior were investigated by FE-SEM observation, EDS elemental analysis and contact angle measurement. Regarding the media for the sonochemical process, alkaline solution was more effective than distilled water due to mercerization effect to make cotton swelled and soft. It was also found that Lotus effect (superhydrophobicity) could be successfully introduced to the hydrophilic cotton fabrics ascribed to micro- and nano-bumps formed by Cu-NPs. The maximum contact angle obtained in the study was 145 degree for the sample coated at 20 mM Cu-NPs and 15 wt% NaOH, respectively. Moreover, antibacterial properties could be added to the fabric by coating of Cu-NPs without further treatment.