Metal nanoparticle enhanced semiconductor film for functionalized textiles

Abstract

A method for forming superior and stable metallic nanoparticle and semiconductor coated fiber materials is provided. The method can include the steps of coating at least one surface of a material, for example a textile material, with a semiconducting layer, and growing metallic nanoparticles directly on the semiconducting layer. The steps for coating the surface of the material with a semiconducting layer can include forming a titanium dioxide film on the surface of the textile material, immersing the coated textile layer in a metallic nanoparticle precursor solution, drying the coated textile layer and exposing the textile layer to UV radiation. The metallic nanoparticles can include gold and / or silver nanoparticles. Also disclosed are materials resistant to microbes, including bacteria and viruses. These materials comprise at least one treated surface coated with metallic nanoparticles. The treated surface may comprise the surface of a textile material, such as a cotton fiber surface. Personal protection equipment, that are effective for preventing exposure to bacteria and viruses, such as surgical masks and protective garments, are provided, and are made with the textiles described.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present application claims priority to U.S. Ser. No. 62 / 830,953, filed Apr. 8, 2019, and to U.S. Ser. No. 16 / 818,751, filed Mar. 13, 2020, the contents of which are specifically incorporated herein by reference.GOVERNMENT LICENSE RIGHTS[0002]This invention was made with government support under D01_W911SR-14-2-0001-0003 awarded by the Department of Defense. The government has certain rights in the invention.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0003]This invention relates to the field of surface coatings and methods for providing a surface coating to a material, as a method of treating a material, for example a textile material, such that at least one surface of the material comprises a nanostructured coating, is provided. The invention also relates to the field of nanostructured coatings that are self-cleaning, anti-microbial (anti-bacterial, anti-viral), and radiation-protective. The invention further relates to the field of semiconducting metal o...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a solution for creating a nanostructured photocatalytic system on textile materials, such as cotton fabrics. This method involves depositing a semiconducting thin film on the surface of the textile material and then growing nanoparticles on top of it using a sol-gel based synthetic method. The nanoparticles help to absorb UV light and reduce charge recombination, resulting in a more efficient photocatalytic performance. The coated textile materials have self-cleaning, anti-microbial, and UV-protective properties, and the method is scalable and facile. The invention advances the art of treating textile materials to create materials with improved properties.

Problems solved by technology

Treatment methods that rely on semiconducting materials being deposited on a textile typically rely on complicated methods ill-suited to scaling to industrial scale, and also typically yield a textile material that is impregnated by and / or decorated with discrete semiconductor nanotubes or nanoparticles, which both have the disadvantage of being more readily removed from the fabric and less photocatalytically active than a thin, uniform film.

Medical and disaster associated protective gear, including masks, garments, hospital draping materials, and the like, remain at best of limited protective effectivity, especially in regards virus and virus related pathologies.

Therefore, conventional surgical masks and personal use masks are not effective for blocking the penetration of the coronavirus.

Assuming that SARS-CoV-2 has a similar size, currently available surgical masks are unlikely to effectively filter this virus.

While these and other findings reinforce the importance of hand hygiene after touching the outside of masks, it also highlights the grave deficiencies in current, widely used public health protective devices, including face masks, in shielding the user and the public at large from virus exposure and spread.

While some improvements have been made in the development of advanced textile materials with a photocatalytic film or layer, current methods and techniques remain ill-suited for large scale production, and fail to provide more than limited self-cleaning, anti-microbial, anti-viral and / or radiation-protective properties.

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