Novel durable and high-performance multifunctional cotton fabric with simultaneous flame retardancy and antibacterial properties based on AMOTP modification

Durable multifunctional cotton fabrics play a vital role across various fields. However, imparting multifunctionality to cotton fabrics by integrating different single-function treatments, while optimizing their interactions to maximize overall performance, remains a complex and demanding challenge. Moreover, achieving this under halogen-free and formaldehyde-free conditions further increases the difficulty of developing durable and high-efficiency multifunctional cotton fabrics. In this study, a flame-retardant antibacterial multifunctional agent, AMOTP, was synthesized through the polymerization of phosphorus oxychloride and diethylenetriamine, followed by the introduction of guanidine-based antibacterial groups. Subsequently, a durable, highly efficient, halogen-free, and formaldehyde-free multifunctional cotton fabric was prepared using a one-step process. When the weight gain rate was 16.8 %, the AMOTP-treated cotton fabric (C3) demonstrated a reduction of 87.98 % and 42.97 % in the peak heat release rate (PHRR) and total heat release (THR), respectively. Moreover, the LOI value of C3 was 43.4 %, with antibacterial rates of 99.99 % against both E. coli and S. aureus. After 50 cycles of washing, the LOI value remained at 28.5 %, and the antibacterial rates against E. coli and S. aureus were maintained at 95.87 % and 94.29 %, respectively. Therefore, this study provides a feasible basis for the development of durable, efficient, flame-retardant, and antibacterial multifunctional cotton fabrics.