Thiazole-derived reactive disperse dyes for cotton/polyester fabric: synthesis, UPF, dyeing applications, and antibacterial activity

Abstract This study describes a simple process for synthesizing thiazole reactive dispersing dyes. A variety of spectroscopic techniques were used to characterize each of the produced azo compounds. The polyester/cotton blend fabrics were dyed to examine the dyeing capabilities and color spectrum of the dyestuffs. The color representation, and colorimetric data (L*, a*, b*, C*, H*, K/S) were all established. We assessed the fastness properties in terms of light, washing, rubbing, and perspiration fastness. The synthetic dyes exhibited excellent exhaustion (80–89%) and fixation (77–87%) values. The dyes were effective at dyeing blend fabrics, producing results that were satisfactory in terms of colorimetric data and fastness characteristics. The resultant dyes have good brightness, depth, and leveling properties and create a variety of hues. Furthermore, the UV protection factor of the synthesized dyes was assessed; the results demonstrated that these dyes offer excellent ultraviolet protective factor (UPF) rating (48.87–55.12). The antibacterial activity against dissimilar bacteria and fungi was also tested in-vitro, allowing for their practical application in a variety of therapeutic scenarios. In addition, the experimental data aligned with the molecular docking findings, which indicated that compound 4a inhibited bacterial DNA gyrase with a binding score of −6.48 kcal/mol. In conclusion, the synthesized compound 4a could be used as a potent antimicrobial agent with a high bioavailability and safety profile in medical applications. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the recent synthetic dyes have good potential in the textile dyeing industry and can be further advanced.