ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Surface engineering of textiles with nanoselenium using microwave technique for comprehensive protection against pathogens, inflammation, and UV exposure

Basmah Almohaywi, Ibtisam Mousa, Abdulrhman M. Alsharari, F. M. Aldosari, Awatif R. Z. Almotairy, Abeer Mogadem, Abeer A. Ageeli, and Hana M. Abumelha

Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia

E-mail: hmabumelha@pnu.edu.sa

Received: 10 June 2025  Accepted: 19 July 2025

Abstract:

Medical textiles represent a rapidly growing segment within functional textiles, driven by the need for enhanced health protection. Herein, selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have emerged as promising agents due to their intrinsic antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and biocompatible properties. This study introduces a novel method for imparting multifunctional properties to cotton fabrics by embedding SeNPs using microwave-assisted deposition on both untreated and cationized cotton substrates. Air permeability and vapor permeability were non-observably decreased from 14.5 cm³/cm² s and 1766 g/m² day for cationized cotton to 12.3 cm³/cm² s and 1727 g/m² day for the sample prepared with higher Se concentration (Se@Q-Cotton (4)). Antimicrobial tests showed a reduction of 94.4–95.3% for Staphylococcus aureus and 86.0–86.4% for Escherichia coli, both before and after 10 washing cycles, indicating strong durability. Furthermore, Se@Q-Cotton (4) maintained significant anti-inflammatory efficacy, with cell viability measured at 76.9% before and 41.6% after repeated washing. UV protective properties were also enhanced, with an initial UPF of 55.5 that remained at a very good level (39.1) after washing. These findings confirm the potential of SeNPs-treated cotton fabrics as highly durable medical textiles with superior antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and UV protective functionalities, suitable for long-term clinical and protective applications.

Keywords: SeNPs; Medical textiles; Cationized cotton; Color strength; Antimicrobial; Anti-inflammatory; UV protection

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-025-04266-3

Chemical Papers 79 (11) 7497–7515 (2025)