Durable antibacterial cotton fabric via spray-coating of photocatalytic MoS2

In the present work, a pigment-binder recipe was created by adding micro/nano-sized Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) particles in two distinct concentrations of 10% and 5% to an adhesive binder and water mixture. Spray coating was used to apply the mixture directly to the cotton cloth. The modified cotton demonstrated excellent bacterial reduction against E. coli and S. aureus. The 10% MoS2 coated fabric reduced E. coli and S. aureus by about 98%, while the 5% MoS2 coated fabric reduced E. coli and S. aureus by 96 and 98%, respectively, during a 2 h bacterial contact period. The fabric's antibacterial function showed impressive laundry endurance, with bacterial reduction of more than 89% after 20 washing cycles. The fabric's natural properties, such as water vapor permeability, tensile strength, and abrasion resistance remained unaffected due to the loading of MoS2 on the cotton surface. The photocatalyst MoS2 coated cotton could be used as a viable treatment against bacterial infections and holds great promise for usage in medical textiles and everyday clothing.