A scoping review of materials and approaches for developing antibacterial textiles

Antimicrobial textiles are specialised fibres and fabrics designed to either annihilate or significantly reduce the growth of harmful microbes like bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Nowadays, antibacterial textiles are extensively used in healthcare, athletic wear, hometextiles, hospitality, protective clothing and so on. This comprehensive review covers the relevant literature published in this area during the last two decades (2003–2024). The various mechanisms of antibacterial activity have been presented, followed by different inorganic, organic and natural agents used for this purpose. The techniques like chemical grafting, in-situ deposition, melt spinning routes and plasma treatment have been succinctly covered. Use of antibacterial agents for controlled drug delivery has been elucidated. Finally, the application areas and the potential ecological and health risks of using antibacterial agents have been highlighted. Several research works have described the release of these antibacterial agents into the soil that deteriorates the health of the soil by destroying or impeding the activity of beneficial soil microorganisms. In conclusion, future research directions have been presented. This review will act as a compendium of recent research in the domain of antibacterial textiles.