UV Protection and Antibacterial Properties of Composite Polymer Coated Textiles Containing Nano and Microsize Metal Oxide Particles

ABSTRACT Two of the most important textile functionalities obtained by nanotechnology are antibacterial activity and UV protection, when the harmful effects of microorganisms and UV radiation, both on human health and textiles, are considered. The easiest way of combining nanotechnology with textiles is applying nanoparticles. Here, using microparticles instead of or in combination with nanoparticles can create advantages in terms of cost, availability, and industrialization. Therefore, in this study, micro‐ and nano‐sized TiO 2 and ZnO were utilized as unary and binary contents to compare the effects of particle size, particle type, and their combinations on the antibacterial and UV protection properties of knife‐coated textile fabrics. Results showed that all the additives contributed to UV protection, providing protection ratings between 5 and 50+; however, nano‐sized TiO 2 was the most effective, reaching the “excellent” UV protection factor with a 125.7 mean value and a 50+ rating at 3% loading. In contrast, nano‐ and micro‐ZnO‐containing samples exhibited higher antibacterial activities. They both caused bacterial log reductions around 2.0 against Staphylococcus aureus compared to control, while achieving higher antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli for nano‐ZnO. Furthermore, several particle combinations, especially micro‐ZnO‐containing samples, showed high antimicrobial activity on both S. aureus and E. coli with bacterial reductions up to 3.0 log. In addition to the UV protection and antibacterial properties, developed textiles may be modified for various biomedical applications, such as surgical mesh and sutures. Considering the widely reported biocompatibility of TiO 2 and ZnO in biomedical contexts, this study also highlights the potential of these textiles as functional biomaterials.