Multifunctional Finishing of Cellulosic Textiles

Cellulosic textiles, encompassing cotton, viscose and related fibres, form the backbone of apparel, home furnishings and medical fabrics. Multifunctional finishing refers to post-treatment processes that endow these materials with additional properties such as softness, wrinkle resistance, ultraviolet protection, antibacterial activity, water repellency and aroma release. Recent advances combine green chemistry and nanotechnology to replace hazardous reagents with bio-based crosslinkers, essential oils and eco-friendly nanoparticles. Techniques such as pad–dry–cure, plasma activation and in situ nanoparticle anchoring have been optimised to achieve durable performance through ester crosslinking or physical entrapment. The result is high-value fabrics capable of responding to healthcare demands, environmental regulations and consumer expectations for comfort and style. Across the value chain, from fibre to finished garment, multifunctional finishes enhance product lifespan, reduce laundering frequency and open new applications in protective clothing, sportswear and smart textiles.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have demonstrated the synthesis of castor oil–polyethylene glycol hybrids under mild conditions to produce stable oil-in-water emulsions suitable for finishing cotton fabrics. When applied via an easy-care pad–dry–cure process, these emulsions improve softness, tensile strength and whiteness index, while simultaneously reducing wrinkle recovery angle and surface wettability. Spectroscopic analysis confirms the formation of ester linkages and nanoscale emulsion droplets, and electron microscopy reveals particle sizes in the 30–100 nm range. Finished samples retain colour fastness and mechanical integrity after multiple washes, highlighting a scalable route to eco-friendly softeners that combines renewable oils with polymeric carriers to deliver multifunctionality to cellulosic substrates.

Multifunctional Finishing of Cellulosic Textiles publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in multifunctional finishing of cellulosic textiles across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Pad–Dry–Cure: A textile finishing sequence in which fabrics are impregnated with functional agents, dried to remove moisture and cured by heat to fix the treatment.

Nanoparticle: An ultrafine particle, typically 1–100 nm in size, used to impart surface properties such as antimicrobial activity or UV protection.

Ester Crosslinking: Chemical bonding of finishing agents to cellulose through ester linkages, enhancing wash durability and mechanical strength.

Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF): A rating that quantifies a fabric’s ability to block UV radiation, with higher values indicating greater protection.

Wettability: The tendency of a liquid to spread over or adhere to a solid surface, influencing moisture management and comfort.

References

1. Synthesis of castor oil/PEG as textile softener. Scientific Reports (2024).
2. Green synthesized chitosan and ZnO nanoparticles for sustainable use in multifunctionalization of cellulosic fabrics. Polymer Bulletin (2023).
3. Enhancement of Antimicrobial and Dyeing Properties of Cellulosic Fabrics via Chitosan Nanoparticles. Polymers (2022).
4. A Greener Facile Approach to Develop Durable Multifunctional Cellulosic Pigment Prints Using β-CD, ZnO-NPs and Several Bioactive Guest Molecules. Fibers and Polymers (2023).