Antifungal characteristics of warp-knitted cotton fabrics treated with various metal complexes

Caracteristicile antifungice ale tricoturilor din urzeală din bumbac tratate cu diferiți complecși metalici
Ashirbekova G. Janpaizova V. Erdem R. Cihanoğlu N. Turakulov B.
2026 Institute National Cercetare-Dezvoltare Textiles Pielarie

Industria Textila
2026 #77 163 - 175 pp.

This study investigates the antifungal properties of warp-knitted cotton fabrics treated with metal-based compounds containing sodium tetrahydroxocuprate (Cu), silver diamine (Ag), and sodium zincate (Zn), synthesised via novel, efficient methods designed to reduce processing complexity and cost. Treatments were applied at concentrations of 0.5% and 1%, and antifungal efficacy was assessed against Candida albicans over 28 days. Surface morphology and chemical composition analyses were conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Results revealed uniform particle distribution on fabric surfaces. It was found that Cu-based particles tended to accumulate more densely and demonstrated stronger adhesion on the yarn surfaces. In contrast, in comparison, this effect became gradually weaker in the samples containing Ag and Zn particles. Antifungal testing demonstrated that Cu-treated fabrics exhibited the highest reduction in fungal load, achieving a 4 log₁₀ (10,000-fold) decrease at 1% concentration by day 7, with sustained activity through day 28. Ag treatments resulted in up to a 3.04 log₁₀ reduction, while Zn treatments showed reductions up to 3.22 log₁₀ at 1%. The 1% metal complex concentration consistently outperformed 0.5% across all metals. Findings highlight Cu compounds as particularly effective for healthcare textiles due to rapid and robust antifungal activity, whereas Ag and Zn compounds offer stable, long-term protection.

antifungal textiles , Candida albicans , chemical synthesis , metal-based coatings , warp-knitted cotton fabric

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Textile and Food Engineering, M. Auezov South Kazakhstan State University, Shymkent, Kazakhstan
Design Department, Zh. Tashenov University, Shymkent, Kazakhstan
Textile Technology, Serik GSS Vocational School, Akdeniz University, Аntalya, Turkey
Chemistry Department, Pure Science Faculty, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey

Textile and Food Engineering
Design Department
Textile Technology
Chemistry Department

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Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026