Preparation of chitosan based antibacterial agent CS-g-DMC and its long-effective antibacterial finishing for cotton fabric

In this study, a chitosan-based high polymer antibacterial agent CS-g-DMC with high water solubility was synthesized via an environmentally friendly initiator system of H2O2 and ascorbic acid (Vc). The CS-g-DMC is used for the long-effective antibacterial finishing of cotton fabric. SEM, EDS, FTIR, XPS, and XRD were conducted to characterize the finished fabric. After the treatment, the CS-g-DMC were cross-linked with cellulose by 1,2,3,4-Butane tetracarboxylic acid BTCA thus immobilized on cotton fabrics. Results showed CS-g-DMC had linked with cellulose by stable chemical bond and uniformly distributed on the surface of cotton fiber. The antibacterial test shows that after treatment, the inhibition rates of the cotton fabric against E. coli and S. aureus are above 99.9%. Moreover, the inhibition rates of the two bacteria reach 94.3% and 95.3% after washing ten times, respectively. The finished cotton fabric had significantly improved hydrophily; its contact angle decreased from 107° to 104°. Its breaking force significantly increased from 173.38 to 219.33 N, while its breaking elongation and moisture transmission rate had no significant decrease. In general, CS-g-DMC-finished cotton fabrics achieve long-lasting antibacterial properties and higher mechanical properties while retaining a high degree of wearing comfort.