CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Cu-cotton fabrics were functionalized by bipolar asymmetric DC-pulse magnetron sputtering (DCP). The DCP of Cu-particles on cotton proceeds at a higher energy than DC-magnetron sputtering (DC). The different sputtering mode showed effects on the structure of the Cu-film on the textile. The Cu-layer thickness was observed to be a function of DCP time being the rate of atomic deposition of 2.5 x 10 15 atoms/cm2 s at 300 mA. The fastest Escherichia coli inactivation was observed within 10 min when Cu was sputtered on cotton Cu for 60 s. This led to a film thickness of 30 nm (150 Cu-layers) with 1.7 x 10 17 atoms/cm2. The Cu-textiles became darker at longer sputtering times as dectected by Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (DRS). By transmision electron microscopy (TEM), Cu particles 35-50 nm in size were found and became more compact on the cotton surface as a function of deposition time. X- ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to determine the surface atomic concentration of O, Cu, C and N along the the states of oxidation of the Cu-ions during the redox process leading the E. coli inactivation. The oxidation of E. coli was on the Cu-cotton surface was a function of reation time and was monitored by the oxidation index of the carbon species on the fabric according to the ratio (C-OH)/(C-C, C=C, C-H). The increase of hydrophobicity of the Cu-cotton was followed as a function of contact angle of droplet residence time for different samples. The results obtained for the E. coli inactivation on the Cu-films are discussed suggesting a possible reaction mechanism.