Ultrasonic-microwave synthesis of ZnO/BiOBr functionalized cotton fabrics with antibacterial and photocatalytic properties.

ZnO coated fabrics have attracted wide attentions due to their antibacterial and photocatalytic self-cleaning properties. However, the photo-response of ZnO only in ultraviolet region limits its application. In this paper, ZnO/BiOBr functionalized cotton fabrics were synthesized by a facile and time-saving ultrasonic-microwave combined method. Compared with ZnO coated fabric, the photocatalytic activity of ZnO/BiOBr coated fabric under visible light irradiation was remarkably improved at no sacrifice of its antibacterial activity. Simultaneously, it also showed good resistance to bacterial adhesion and photocorrosion. The introduction of two-dimensional BiOBr nanoflakes not only enhanced the visible light absorption, but also reduced the recombination rate of electron-hole pairs, thus significantly improving the photocatalytic self-cleaning performance of the coated fabric under visible light irradiation. The ZnO/BiOBr coated cotton fabric with both antibacterial and self-cleaning functionalities may have broad application prospects in the fields of textile, medicine and chemical industry.