LAUSR

ABSTRACT In this research, the spark discharge method (SDM) was used for in-situ synthesis of copper and copper oxide nanoparticles (NPs) on cotton fabrics for producing antibacterial textile. Varieties of analytical techniques were applied for the characterization of both NPs and synthesized CuO NPs on cotton fabrics. The structural characterization of the particles was carried out by the X-ray powder diffraction method. Also, the morphological properties of treated cotton samples were investigated using scanning electron microscope. Particle size and size distribution were measured by dynamic light scattering apparatus. The results show that concentration of 100 ppm is enough for killing 106 CFU/mL of bacteria. It is indicated that the synthesized CuO NPs are very strong against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Also, the durability of antibacterial efficiency after 15 times of washing was tested. The results confirm that the antibacterial fastness properties are significant and no colonies spread over agar plate after 15 cycles of washing. It was concluded that SDM for in-situ synthesize of nano-CuO on cotton fabrics in batch systems is very promising method.