Development of environmentally friendly dyeing technology for textiles: DBD plasma management and green tea leaf extracts toward multifunctional cotton fabric

This research explores the antimicrobial effects of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) oxygen plasma curing combined with Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) on the cotton fabric, focusing on various treatment durations (5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 min) and discharge powers (15.5-17.35 W) at a flow rate of 0.5 L/min. Green tea leaves ( Camellia sinensis ) were used to extract natural pigments, and those pigments were applied in a patterned way onto fabric, creating a printed textile design using only natural materials. After treatment with oxygen plasma and ZnO NPs, the fabric was printed with dye extracted from green tea at five different concentrations. The study evaluated the treatment’s effectiveness by analyzing surface wettability, specifically through wet-out time and hydrophilicity, as well as measuring contact angles. This comprehensive approach aims to understand how DBD oxygen plasma treatment and ZnO NPs change cotton fabric properties and enhance its antimicrobial potential, paving the way for innovative applications in textiles. The chemical analysis and surface morphology of the oxygen plasma/ZnO NPs-treated fabric were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis revealed an increase in polar functional groups (-COOH, -OH, and -C≡O) on the fabric surface, contributing to enhanced hydrophilicity and functionality. The results demonstrated a significant improvement in antimicrobial effectiveness for cotton fabric treated with plasma and printing with natural extracts. Notably, this enhanced efficacy was retained even after four washing cycles, highlighting the treatment durability.