Enhancement of Antibacterial Capability of Cotton Textiles Coated with TiO2–SiO2/Chitosan Using Hydrophobization

Since textiles have a porous and hydrophilic structure, they are ideal substrates for the settlement and growth of pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, fabrication of hydrophobic textiles to reduce their humidity has the potential to inhibit the growth of bacteria. On this basis, we report here an improvement of the antibacterial capability of textiles coated with TiO₂–SiO₂/chitosan using hydrophobization. Synthesis of TiO₂–SiO₂ clusters with chitosan was carried out using the sol–gel technique. In addition, hydrophobization of the textiles using hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS) was carried out using a dip‐spin coating method. In addition, their characteristics were examined using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (UV‐DRS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), water contact angle, and antibacterial activity. XRD, SEM, UV‐DRS, FTIR, and water contact angle confirmed the physical and chemical properties of the modified textiles. In summary, the present work shows that the hydrophobization of textiles using HDTMS can enhance the antibacterial capability of cotton textiles.