Enzymatic pre-treatment as a means of enhancing the antibacterial activity and stability of ZnO nanoparticles sonochemically coated on cotton fabrics

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NP's) are known for their excellent antibacterial properties. This paper describes a method for enhancing the stability and the antibacterial activity of ZnO NPs synthesized and embedded sonochemically on cotton fabrics, by pre-treating the fabric surface with cellulase enzyme. The enzymatic pre-treatment resulted in the deposition of smaller sized NPs with improved adhesion. The reduction in particle size brought about better antibacterial performance against several types of bacteria. The sonochemically produced ZnO coating withstood 10 laundry cycles at 92 degrees C retaining its antibacterial activity.