Facile approach for large-scale production of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles and preparation of antibacterial cotton pads.

Metallic nanoparticles such as zinc oxide (ZnONPs), copper oxide (CuONPs), and silver (AgNPs) were synthesized in gram scale using green methods. The antibacterial cotton fibers/nanoparticles (cotton fibers/NPs) composite pads were prepared, and nanoparticle binding/release tests were performed. All the NPs were crystalline and showed characteristic XRD diffraction peaks and showed the characteristic FTIR bands of the respective nanoparticles. All the NPs showed strong antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria. The NPs were attached to the cotton pad by adsorption at different extent depending on the types of nanoparticles. The adsorption and release of nanoparticles on and from cotton pads were also dependent on the types of nanoparticles. The NPs-adsorbed cotton pads showed potent antibacterial activity against pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermis. The developed NPs-adsorbed cotton pads have potential to be used as wound dressings and antibacterial food packaging applications.