A synergistic self-cleaning and antibacterial studies of photocatalytic carbon nitride/polypyrrole coated cotton fabrics for smart textile application

Smart fabrics are one of the progressing technologies in this era especially in the field of self-cleaning and stain removing applications. Recent years, photocatalyst based self-cleaning technology seek much attention in the fields of therapeutic textiles, athletic clothing, defense uniforms and outdoor material. In this present work, the carbon nitride (CN) blended with conducting polypyrrole polymer (PPY) were coated over cotton fabrics by modified pad-dry cure method. The CNPPY composite coated cotton fabric shows enhanced photocatalytic degradation efficiency of 96.5% compared to individual coatings of CN and PPY. The successful demonstration of photocatalytic stain removal and self-cleaning properties was achieved through the utilization of CNPPY composite-coated cotton fabric. This breakthrough was accomplished with minimal water consumption (1 cm²/ml), employing different colored stains under solar irradiation. Also, the CNPPY composite coated cotton fabric exhibited excellent resistance to bacterial growth. The dual advantages of photocatalytic antibacterial activity and self-cleaning of CNPPY composite coated cotton fabric led to sustainable, innovative textile applications with significant lower water consumption during washing process.