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IIT-ISM's silver nanoparticle anti-viral textile coating

20 Jun '20

2 min read

Pic: Indian Institute of Technology

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-ISM) in Dhanbad has developed a wash-resistant anti-viral and anti-bacterial coating of silver nanoparticles that makes textile cloth super-hydrophobic. A three-member team studied the efficacy of the coating on Escherichia coli bacteria and Aspergillus niger fungus. Tests on the novel coronavirus are under way.

After up-scaling, the coated clothes can be made available at affordable prices, according to IIT-ISM.

The study was started after the World Health Organisation recommended the use of triple-layered masks and personal protective equipment kits for COVID-19 prevention, said lead scientist and professor of chemical engineering Aditya Kumar, who was assisted by Kalpita Nath and Poonam Chauhan.

The method uses in-situ ultra-violet irradiation followed by its modification withperfluorodecyltriethoxysilane, he said.

In super-hydrophobicity, the water droplet does not stick to the surface at all and rolls off easily from it. At lab-scale, this coating is found to have excellent chemical and thermal stability making it reusable multiple times even after repeated washing.

The coated cloth exhibits exceptional self-cleaning and stain resistant properties leading to complete non-adherence of dirt, liquid droplets and stain on the cloth surface.

Since silver is also non-toxic in nature to humans at very low concentrations, the silver nano-particle coating becomes human friendly.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)