A Durable Ag@MOF-545/QCM-Cotton Fabric with “Intelligent Bacteria-Capturing and Dual Antibacterial” Properties

Cotton textiles with persistent antibacterial qualities are crucial in halting the spread of bacteria and other infections. However, fugitive bacteria and drug-resistant pathogens have rendered tremendous challenges in the development of cotton fabrics with long-lasting antibacterial efficacy. The work aimed to innovatively propose a functional cotton fabric integrating intelligent bacteria-capturing and dual antibacterial properties for efficacious personal health management. The functional cotton fabric was created by modifying the surface of cotton fabric with the quaternized carboxymethyl chitosan (Q-CF) and then covalently grafting the silver@Zr-based porphyrin metal-organic skeleton (Ag@MOF-545) prepared via the "bottle-around-the-boat" method on the surface of Q-CF (AM/Q-CF). In this process, the functional cotton fabric could capture bacteria via positive charges on the surface of the quaternized carboxymethyl chitosan. Due to the synergistic effect of broad-spectrum antibacterial silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and the visible light-driven antibacterial Zr-based porphyrin metal-organic skeleton (MOF-545), the metabolism of bacteria and drug-resistant strains was well inhibited, which endowed the AM/Q-CF with lasting dual antibacterial properties. After repeated laundering cycles, abrasion cycles, simulated sweat soaking, and long-term storage, the antibacterial rates of AM/Q-CF were over 85%. Altogether, the results provided a potential antibiotic-free alternative for the preparation of durable antibacterial cotton fabrics.