Shereen A. Abdeldayem

Leather is highly susceptible to microbial colonization due to its moisture retention and nutrient-rich structure, which promotes bacterial and fungal growth and compromises hygiene, durability, and user comfort in applications such as footwear and upholstery. In this work, tellurium nanoparticles (TeNPs) were green synthesized through redox reaction using plant extract and structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to confirm crystalline phase, particle size, and morphology. The TeNPs were then applied to leather substrates to generate antimicrobial leathers. The distribution and surface morphology of TeNPs on leather were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) to verify nanoparticle anchoring and elemental composition. Mechanical performance was assessed through tensile strength and elongation testing to evaluate the influence of TeNP incorporation on the integrity of the leather matrix. Antibacterial and antifungal activities of TeNP-treated leather were quantified against representative Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and Aspergillus fungal. The antimicrobial efficacy of TeNPs is attributed to ROS generation, disruption of microbial cell membranes, inhibition of thiol-containing respiratory enzymes, and Te redox cycling-mediated oxidative stress, which together achieve broad-spectrum inactivation of bacterial and fungal pathogens. The TeNP-functionalized leather exhibited pronounced antibacterial and antifungal activities while enhancing mechanical performance, indicating its potential as a high-value, hygienic leather material for advanced footwear and other consumer applications.

A novel, facile, and eco-friendly photochemical approach was developed for the synthesis of carboxymethyl chitosan-silver nanocomposites (CMC-Ag-nanocomposites). The synthesis utilized a water-soluble 4-(trimethyl ammonium methyl) benzophenone chloride photo-initiator and a 125W medium-pressure Hg lamp, marking the first time this specific initiation system has been used for CMC-Ag composites. The mechanism of silver ion reduction (Ag⁺ → Ag⁰) was established, and nanoparticle formation was monitored via UV–Vis spectrophotometry. Optimized nanocomposites were applied to cotton fabrics using a pad-dry-cure technique to impart antibacterial properties. Characterization through FTIR, TEM, and XRD confirmed the successful synthesis, while SEM was used to examine the surface morphology of the finished fabrics. Results revealed that uniform spherical AgNPs (2–20 nm) were well-dispersed within the CMC matrix without significant aggregation. The treated cotton fabrics exhibited outstanding antibacterial efficacy against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, retaining significant activity even after twenty washing cycles. This study demonstrates a sustainable and effective pathway for producing high-performance antibacterial medical textiles.

Medical textiles, including surgical gowns, masks are used as obstacles to prevent the risk of infection for both doctor and patient. The widespread of bacteria and viruses, e.g. chronic hepatitis B, hepatitis C and currently Covid-19 viruses in the patient population is very common. In this work, multifunctional eco-friendly polyester fabrics have been produced by in situ impregnation of 2-((E)-(2-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)hydrazono)methyl)-4-((E)-phenyldiazenyl)phenol disperse dye onto magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. The technique endowed polyester fabrics with a new color as well as magnetic and antibacterial functionalities. The colored magnetic nanoparticles showed high affinity toward fabrics. Besides, the unbound dye could be easily collected from wastewater by a magnet, significantly facilitate the wastewater treatment. The treated fabrics were analyzed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and vibrating sample magnetometry. Colorimetric values, tensile properties and fastness of the composite fabrics were also measured. The tensile properties of the composite were increased after functionalization. The wettability features of the fabric were investigated and showed a significant improvement. Also, the toxicity of the resulted fabric was exhibited low toxicity against wi-38 cell line. These results indicate the potentiality of the suggested technique in producing multifunctional fabrics with various applications, especially as medical textiles.

The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly shown the importance of developing advanced protective equipment, and new antiviral fabrics for the protection and prevention of life-threatening viral diseases are needed. In this study, selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) were combined with polyester fabrics using printing technique to obtain multifunctional properties, including combined antiviral and antibacterial activities as well as coloring. The properties of the printed polyester fabrics with SeNPs were estimated, including tensile strength and color fastness. Characterization of the SeNPs was carried out using TEM and SEM. The results of the analysis showed good uniformity and stability of the particles with sizes range from 40–60 nm and 40–80 nm for SeNPs 25 mM and 50 mM, respectively, as well as uniform coating of the SeNPs on the fabric. In addition, the SeNPs—printed polyester fabric exhibited high disinfection activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with an inhibition percentage of 87.5%. Moreover, a toxicity test of the resulting printed fabric revealed low cytotoxicity against the HFB4 cell line. In contrast, the treated fabric under study showed excellent killing potentiality against Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, and Escherichia coli). This multifunctional fabric has high potential for use in protective clothing applications by providing passive and active protection pathways.

The development of antibacterial coatings for footwear components is of great interest both from an industry and consumer point of view. In this work, the leather material was developed taking advantage of the intrinsic antibacterial activity and coloring ability of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs). The SeNPs were synthesized and implemented into the leather surface by using ultrasonic techniques to obtain simultaneous coloring and functionalization. The formation of SeNPs in the solutions was evaluated using UV/Vis spectroscopy and the morphology of the NPs was determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The treated leather material (leather/SeNPs) was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The effects of SeNPs on the coloration and antibacterial properties of the leather material were evaluated. The results revealed that the NPs were mostly spherical in shape, regularly distributed, and closely anchored to the leather surface. The particle size distribution of SeNPs at concentrations of 25 mM and 50 mM was in the range of 36–77 nm and 41–149 nm, respectively. It was observed that leather/SeNPs exhibited a higher depth of shade compared to untreated ones, as well as excellent fastness properties. The results showed that leather/SeNPs can significantly enhance the antibacterial activity against model of bacteria, including Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi and Escherichia coli). Moreover, the resulting leather exhibited low cytotoxicity against HFB4 cell lines. This achievement should be quite appealing to the footwear industry as a way to prevent the spread of bacterial infection promoted by humidity, poor breathability and temperature which promote the expansion of the microflora of the skin.

In this study, we developed a new approach for depositing selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) into polypropylene (PP) fabrics via a one-step process under hydrothermal conditions by using an IR-dyeing machine to incorporate several functionalities, mainly coloration, antibacterial activity and ultraviolet (UV) protection. The formation, size distribution, and dispersion of the SeNPs were determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible (UV/Vis), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the color strength, fastness, antibacterial properties, and UV protection of the treated fabrics were also explored. The UV-Vis spectra and TEM analysis confirmed the synthesis of spherical well-dispersed SeNPs and the XRD analysis showed the successful deposition of SeNPs into PP fabrics. The obtained results demonstrate that the SeNPs-PP fabrics is accompanied by a noticeable enhancement in measurements of color strength, fastness, and UV-protection factor (UPF), as well as excellent antibacterial activity. Viability studies showed that SeNPs-PP fabrics are non-toxic against wi-38cell line. In addition, the treated SeNPs-PP fabrics showed an increase in conductivity. The obtained multifunctional fabrics are promising for many industrial applications such as the new generation of curtains, medical fabrics, and even automotive interior parts.