A self-assembled bio-based coating with phytic acid and DL-arginine used for a flame-retardant and antibacterial cellulose fabric

The functional modification of textiles can improve the safety and application performance thereof. Conventional cellulose fabric modification leads to the interaction of multiple functions, which restricts the application of textiles. In the present study, for preparing a flame-retardant and antibacterial cellulose fabric, a bio-based coating produced phytic acid and DL-arginine were constructed on the fabric surface by means of a layer-by-layer self-assembly process. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results show that the bio-based coating successfully deposited on the surface of cellulose fabric, while the thermogravimetric analysis indicates that the coated cellulose fabric formed a high stability carbon at 700 °C, with a carbon yield up to 16.88 %. When the number of assembly cycles reached 20, the LOI value was up to 27.0 ± 0.2 %, and the pkHRR and pkTHR of the fabric were 18.6 % and 33 % lower than that of pure fabric, respectively. Additionally, the coated cellulose fabric exhibited a noticeable antibacterial effect against Staphylococcus aureus, in which the diameter of the inhibition zone reached 2.1 mm when the number of coatings was increased to 20. The functional coating has excellent washing resistance, with a P loss rate of 6–8 % after 30 washes. An effective method was established for realizing flame retardant and antibacterial treatment of fabric through constructing a bio-based coating. Owing to the flame retardancy and antibacterial properties, the functional cellulose fabric is an ideal candidate for application in vehicle interiors and soft decorations.