A Novel Durable and Water-Soluble N-Halamine Precursor for Antibacterial Cellulose Fabrics

A novel, water-soluble N-halamine precursor based on s-triazine (2-(aminoethanesulfonic sodium salt)-4-(4-imino-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine)-6-monochloro-1,3,5-triazine, ATDT) was synthesized and characterized by FT-IR and 1 H-NMR. The cotton fabrics were functionalized with ATDT through the traditional pad-dry-cure method, and optimal conditions were successfully obtained by measuring the active chlorine content. The antibacterial activity of ATDT-coated cotton fabrics was investigated against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli O157:H7. As a result, 100% of bacteria could be inactivated within a brief contact time. Cell viability was also determined and the results showed that ATDT-modified cotton fabrics had good cytocompatibility to mammalian cells. In addition, the preparation process had little effect on the tensile strength and whiteness of cotton fabrics, although the air permeability showed a slight decrease. The chlorinated ATDT-coated fabrics showed excellent stability against storage and washing.