Fabrication of Bio-based Protective Fabrics Functionalized with ZnO/MgO Nanoparticles for Antibacterial and Chemical Detoxification Application
J. Environ. Nanotechnol., Volume 15, No 2 (June 2026) pp. 301-314
Abstract
Development of protective fabrics capable of actively neutralizing chemical and biological hazards remains a major challenge, as conventional fabrics mainly provide passive protection and often rely on synthetic materials with limited environmental sustainability. In this study, a multifunctional bio-based protective fabric was developed using banyan aerial root cellulose fibers functionalized with electrospun chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol (CS/PVA) nanofibers incorporating zinc oxide and magnesium oxide nanoparticles. ZnO and MgO nanoparticles were synthesized through a precipitation-based method and deposited onto the natural fiber fabrics using electrospray coating, followed by electrospinning of CS/PVA nanofibers containing nanoparticles to form a uniform nanostructured composite layer. Structural and functional characterization was performed using attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and ground-state diffuse reflectance spectroscopy to confirm nanoparticle incorporation and coating morphology. The synthesised materials demonstrated excellent antibacterial performance, achieving 99.71 ± 0.18 % inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus and 99.56 ± 0.27 % inhibition of Escherichia coli for ZnO/MgO coated fabrics, while electrospun CS/PVA–ZnO/MgO nanofiber composites exhibited nearly 100 % antibacterial efficiency. Photocatalytic experiments showed significant methylene blue degradation, with remission function values decreasing from 12.10 for CS/PVA coatings to 2.40 for CS/PVA–ZnO/MgO nanofiber composites after UV irradiation. Additionally, degradation experiments using the nerve agent simulant dimethyl methylphosphonate revealed a detoxification efficiency of 97.13 % under UV exposure. These outcomes show that the synthesized nanostructured fabrics possess strong antibacterial, photocatalytic, and chemical detoxification capabilities, making them promising candidates for advanced protective clothing, antimicrobial medical fabrics, and environmental remediation applications.
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