Thermostable ZnO/Ag@SiO₂ nanohybrid material for extraordinary antibacterial activity polyester fibers

Melt blending is considered a significant method to develop antibacterial textile materials. However, it is still challenging to the homogeneous dispersion and efficient antibacterial activity of inorganic nanoparticles in polymer fibers. In this work, ZnO/Ag@SiO2 inorganic nanohybrid antibacterial agents were prepared by the direct precipitation method. The prepared antibacterial material had efficient antibacterial and thermal stability properties. Specifically, the decomposition temperature of the ZnO/Ag@SiO2 was higher than 400 degrees C, which was appropriate for melting polymers at high temperatures. Here, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was used as a fiber matrix, and PET/ZnO/Ag@SiO2 fibers were prepared by melt spinning technology. The results showed that the antibacterial material was well dispersed in the PET matrix, and the crystallization was promoted during the cooling process. The modified PET fibers presented better antibacterial properties against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), with a maximum antibacterial rate of 99.9%. Additionally, the modified PET fibers provide superior laundering durability, with an antibacterial rate of 95.7% for S. aureus and 94.8% for E. coli after 50 washes. This work offers a novel approach to preparing thermotolerant and efficient antibacterial agents and antibacterial-modified PET fibers.