Biodegradability of oxygen-plasma treated cellulose textile functionalized with ZnO nanoparticles as antibacterial treatment

Samples of bleached cellulose fabric were treated with weakly ionized highly dissociated oxygen plasma in order to improve the binding of ZnO nanoparticles, antibacterial properties and biodegradability. Low specific discharge power of about 24 W l⁻¹ was applied in order to minimize thermal effects following plasma treatment. Optical emission spectroscopy revealed weak etching of the fabric while x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed formation of oxygen-rich functional groups. Scanning electron microscopy revealed an improved uptake of ZnO nanoparticles and the standard transfer method highlighted excellent antimicrobial effects for Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli . The biodegradability of all samples was determined using the standard ISO test and revealed excellent results for plasma-treated samples even in cases when they were functionalized using ZnO nanoparticles. (paper)