Sustainable Development of Chitosan Encapsulated Clove Oil Microstructures and Impregnation Thereof onto Cellulosic Fabric for Multipurpose Textile

Herein, clove oil encapsulated-chitosan morphologies have been prepared using the emulsion evaporation method. The prepared microstructures were analyzed for z-average and zeta potential using dynamic light scattering analysis and then applied on cellulosic fabric for antibacterial and textile properties using citric acid as a green cross-linker in the presence of sodium hypophosphite as a catalyst. The treated fabric was characterized for surface morphology, chemical functionalities, crystal properties, conventional textile properties including whiteness index, air permeability, crease recovery, stiffness, tensile strength, antibacterial activity, and finish loading/release profiles. The z-averages of the native chitosan microcapsules were recorded as 250±10 nm, and that of 1 and 2 % (v/v) clove oil containing chitosan microcapsules were observed as 300±10 and 380±15 nm, respectively. The chitosan-based microcapsules-treated cellulosic fabrics exhibited good broad-spectrum antibacterial activity with overall retained tensile properties and a sustained release of essential oil in the phosphate-buffered saline. The results were found validated based on statistical analysis.