In-situ deposition of Cu2O micro-needles for biologically active textiles and their release properties

Metal/metal oxide containing fibres are gradually increasing in textile industrialization recently, owing to their high potential for application as antimicrobial textiles. In this study, the reducing properties of cellulose were applied to synthesize cuprous oxide in-situ. The direct formation of Cu2O on viscose fabrics was achieved via quite simple technique in two subsequent steps: alkalization and sorption. Cu contents in fabrics before and after rinsing ranged between 45.2-86.4 mmol/kg and 18.1-67.7 mmol/kg, respectively. Uniform micro-needles of Cu2O were obtained with regular size and dimensions of 1.60 ± 0.20 μm in length and 0.13 ± 0.03 μm in width. Release of Cu1+/2+ ions from selected samples was studied in water, physiological fluid and artificial sweat. Copper containing fabrics exhibited a percent of 96.8-97.8% and 85.5-89.0% for reduction in microbial viability, which was tested for S. aureus (as gram positive bacteria), E. coli (as gram-negative bacteria) and C. albicans and A. niger (as fungal species), respectively after 24 h contact time.