Dyed fabrics modified via assembly with phytic acid/berberine for antibacterial, UV resistance, and self-cleaning applications

There is a growing demand for dyed cotton fabrics for antibacterial and UV-resistant materials application. Here, we use titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) to improve the UV resistance and impart self-cleaning property to cotton fabrics. Besides, to produce antibacterial dyed fabrics, berberine hydrochloride is used as a dye and antibacterial agent. Phytic acid and berberine hydrochloride are coated onto the fabrics via self-assembly to improve the light fastness. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy tests show that TiO 2 nanoparticles are grafted onto fabrics, and phytic acid (–) and berberine hydrochloride (+) are successfully assembled onto the fabric surface. The treated fabrics exhibit excellent UV light fastness and good self-cleaning property. Most importantly, the obtained cotton fabrics illustrate remarkable antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli O157:H7 with 97.63% and 84.52% bacterial reduction within 60 min of contact time, respectively. Therefore, our designed dyed antibacterial fabrics may have great potential for use in textiles.