Interface-Engineered Cotton Fabrics with Emblica officinalis-Mediated Silver-Based Nanoparticles for Robust...

The practical use of nanoparticle-coated textiles is often limited by inadequate interfacial adhesion between the coating and fabric, as well as the risk of nanoparticles washing off during use. In this work, we addressed these challenges by growing silver-based nanoparticles directly onto cotton fabric using Emblica officinalis leaf extract, followed by treatment with a fluorinated silane to modify the surface chemistry and roughness. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis showed that compounds present in the plant extract help in the formation of nanoparticles by reducing silver ions and capping the particle surface. Field emission electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction confirmed the presence of crystalline Ag and silver oxide phases, including diffraction features consistent with Ag2O and Ag3O4, with particle dimensions ranging from 60 to 120 nm, uniformly distributed within the fibrous structure. The combination of this surface roughness with the fluorinated coating produced a nonstick superhydrophobic surface, with a water contact angle of 160° and a sliding angle below 5°. The treated fabrics showed excellent self-cleaning ability (97% efficiency), could separate oil from water (95% efficiency), and displayed strong antibacterial activity. Importantly, the coatings remained stable under tape adhesion, washing, chemical exposure, thermal treatment, and UV light, with the contact angle changing by only 1-3°, indicating effective retention of the coating on the fabric. The functionalized fabrics retained antibacterial efficacy up to 65% against Escherichia coli and 87% against Bacillus subtilis after laundry tests. Minimum silver release (1.2%) after a leaching test in artificial sweat, combined with high cell viability (>90%) calculated via the MTT assay, demonstrated the excellent cytocompatibility of the functionalized fabrics. The multifunctional performance of the fabrics─along with outstanding durability, low silver release, and good biocompatibility─highlights their significance for advanced functional textiles.