The sonochemical functionalization of textiles

This chapter reviews the research that has been done for functionalization of textile with inorganic nanoparticles (CuO, ZnO, MgO, and novel Zn-CuO) by the sonochemical method. The Introduction outlines the role of nanotechnology in the development of antibacterial textile. The metal nano-oxides have a large surface area and can be finely spread on the fabrics. This property makes them a good alternative to triclosan, quaternary ammonium salts, and other toxic compounds that now dominate the antimicrobial market. In the second section, the mechanism that makes sonochemistry a prospective instrument for highly stable, effective, and environmentally friendly antibacterial coating of textile is discussed. In addition, the antibacterial efficiency of the sonochemically coated textiles was validated after 65 washing cycles. The third part of the review reports on the progress in colorization of textiles by sonochemistry. Moreover, two functions could be imparted to the textiles simultaneously, color and biocide, by ultrasound-assisted coating.