Coloration and Multi-Functionalization of Polypropylene Fabrics with Selenium Nanoparticles

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Textile Engineering

Background:

• Polypropylene (PP) fabrics lack inherent coloration, antibacterial, and UV protective properties.
• Developing multifunctional textiles requires advanced material deposition techniques.
• Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) offer potential for imparting desirable properties to materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a one-step hydrothermal method for depositing selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) onto polypropylene (PP) fabrics.
• To impart coloration, antibacterial activity, and ultraviolet (UV) protection to PP fabrics.
• To evaluate the properties and potential applications of the SeNPs-modified PP fabrics.

Main Methods:

• One-step hydrothermal deposition of SeNPs onto PP fabrics using an IR-dyeing machine.
• Characterization of SeNPs using X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
• Assessment of fabric properties including color strength, fastness, antibacterial activity, UV protection factor (UPF), and cytotoxicity.

Main Results:

• Spherical, well-dispersed SeNPs were successfully synthesized and deposited onto PP fabrics, confirmed by UV-Vis and TEM.
• XRD analysis verified the successful integration of SeNPs into the PP fabric structure.
• Treated SeNPs-PP fabrics exhibited enhanced color strength, fastness, UPF, and excellent antibacterial activity.
• Viability studies confirmed the non-toxicity of SeNPs-PP fabrics against wi-38 cell lines.
• An increase in electrical conductivity was observed in the treated fabrics.

Conclusions:

• The one-step hydrothermal method effectively produces multifunctional SeNPs-PP fabrics.
• The SeNPs-PP fabrics possess enhanced coloration, antibacterial, UV protection, and conductivity properties.
• These multifunctional fabrics show significant promise for applications in curtains, medical textiles, and automotive interiors.