UV Light-Induced Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species and Antimicrobial Properties of Cellulose Fabric Modified by 3,3′,4,4′-Benzophenone Tetracarboxylic Acid

3,3',4,4'-Benzophenone tetracarboxylic acid (BPTCA) could directly react with hydroxyl groups on cellulose to form ester bonds. The modified cotton fabrics not only provided good wrinkle-free and ultraviolet (UV) protective functions, but also exhibited important photochemical properties such as producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) including hydroxyl radicals (HO(•)) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) under UV light exposure. The amounts of the produced hydroxyl radical and hydrogen peroxide were measured, and photochemical reactive mechanism of the BPTCA treated cellulose was discussed. The results reveal that the fabrics possess good washing durability in generation of hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen peroxide. The cotton fabrics modified with different concentrations of BPTCA and cured at an elevated temperature demonstrated excellent antimicrobial activities, which provided 99.99% antibacterial activities against both E. coli and S. aureus. The advanced materials have potential applications in medical textiles and biological material fields.