A novel formulation of triethyl orthoformate mediated durable, smart and antibacterial chitosan cross-linked cellulose fabrics

Antibacterial, durable and smart cotton fabrics was developed using chitosan-based formulation. The cellulose was covalently cross-linked with chitosan using TEOF. The antibacterial activity of prepared smart fabrics and CS was studied against S. aureus and E. coli strains. The FTIR, SEM and XRD were employed to confirm the linkage of CS molecules with cellulose in cotton fabrics. The CS of 160 KDa extracted from shrimp shell showed the optimum antibacterial activity. The prominent asymmetric, symmetric alkyl CH peaks of CS were shifted to 2930 and 2845 (cm−1), respectively. Moreover, the shifted peaks at 1590 and 1400 (cm−1) indicate the CO stretching and NH2 bending bands of CS, respectively. This confirm the existence of new imine functional group that was generated after cross-linking of NH2 groups of CS. The SEM results showed more uniform morphology of TEOF cross-linked fabrics versus CS coated fabrics, which revealed a promising microbial growth inhibition activity. The TEOF as a cross-linker has been unveiled, showcasing the effectiveness of this innovative crosslinking approach. The fabric treated with cross-linked CS exhibited remarkable antibacterial properties that endured even after undergoing 30 washing cycles. These antibacterial textiles possess substantial commercial potential across a diverse range of industries.