Natural and organo-montmorillonite as antibacterial nanoclays for cotton garment

•Mt and cationic Mt nanocolloids are bioactive with antibacterial properties.•Mt and cationic Mt introduced on cotton with reasonable antibacterial activities.•The antibacterial activity of cationic Mt is higher than Mt.•Mineral clay have no antibacterial properties on cotton fabric.•Mt and cationic Mt introduced as novel antibacterial agents for textiles.

Here, antibacterial activities of the powder and colloidal forms of natural and organo-montmorillonite (Mt) and also clay mineral and the cotton fabrics treated with various Mt and clay mineral were investigated against S. aurous as Gram-positive and E. coli as Gram-negative bacteria based on AATCC 100 standard method. The durability of the treated cotton fabrics was also studied against home laundering. The cell cytotoxicity of natural and modified montmorillonite was assessed through MTT against cell fibroblast of human skin. The natural and organo-Mt in powder and colloid forms and also on the cotton fabrics indicated good antibacterial activities however clay mineral showed no antibacterial properties. Further, the kinetic of bacteria killing of treated cotton fabrics followed Chick–Watson model. Natural montmorillonite indicated lower cytotoxicity in comparison of cell viability of natural and modified montmorillonite with human skin cell.

Graphical abstractTEM images of the organo-Mt in powder form (a), in disperse form (b), E. coli cells (c) and treated E. coli cells by organo-Mt (d).Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide