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New Antimicrobial, Anti-Odor Coating for Clothing and Textiles:
For the first time, researchers have found a cost-effective and convenient way to apply a silver-based antimicrobial clear coating to new or existing textiles. Their method uses polyphenols[*], commonly found in food items notorious for staining clothes such as wine and chocolate. A range of textile types can be treated by the researchers' method, and items can be washed multiple times without losing the antimicrobial and therefore anti-odor property.
[...] There are many kinds of products that can be worn or applied to the body which aim to reduce body odor, but these often come with a compromise such as expense, breathability, limited choice, or something else. Some of these make use of silver, which is well known for its antimicrobial properties, but can be difficult to apply to things like clothes in an easy and efficient way.
A team led by researchers from the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Engineering has pioneered a way to apply an antimicrobial silver coating to textiles that is cost effective, simple and has some useful implications too. They essentially used a compound known as a polyphenol [*], tannic acid (TA) specifically, to bind silver (Ag) to fabrics. Polyphenols are found in chocolate and red wine amongst other things, and are responsible for their infamous ability to stain clothing and tablecloths. Fortunately, the researchers' coating, called Ag/TA, is completely clear so it doesn't discolor textiles, but best of all, it can survive being washed.
"As kids often do, my son stained his shirt with chocolate one day, and I couldn't scrub it out," said postdoctoral fellow Joseph Richardson. "Associate Professor Hirotaka Ejima and I have studied polyphenols for over a decade, but this chocolate incident got me thinking about using tannic acid to bind silver to fabrics. We think we've found two methods to apply our antimicrobial silver coating to textiles, suitable for different use cases."
The first method might be useful for commercial clothing or fabric producers. Textiles can simply be bathed in a mixture of the silver compound and the polyphenol binder. Another method, perhaps more suited to small-scale settings, including the home, is to spray items of clothing, first with the silver compound and then with the polyphenol binder. An obvious advantage is that people can add the coating to existing items of clothing.
[*] Polyphenol on Wikipedia.
Journal Reference:
Richardson, Joseph J., Liao, Wenting, Li, Jincai, et al. Rapid assembly of colorless antimicrobial and anti-odor coatings from polyphenols and silver [open], Scientific Reports (DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05553-9)
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 11 2022, @12:48AM (5 children)
This silver is going to end up in the wastewater stream and accumulate in the environment, possibly in what you eat. It is unnecessary. Use soap, use deodorant, wash your clothes. DONE.
(Score: 2) by acid andy on Friday February 11 2022, @01:56AM (2 children)
You're right but then I'm not sure how good laundry detergent and deodorant are for the water either. And what about the aluminum salts in antiperspirants?
"rancid randy has a dialogue with herself[...] Somebody help him!" -- Anonymous Coward.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 11 2022, @02:29AM
Silver is not a required nutrient for any living thing, and it is normally only found in very very trace quantities if at all in the environment. Aluminum is a very commonly dispersed mineral in nature (clays especially). Detergents have the possibility of being biodegradable, and soap certainly is biodegradable. Silver does NOT biodegrade. It just accumulates. If it kills bacteria, what might it due to other living things? It is completely unnecessary.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Azuma Hazuki on Friday February 11 2022, @04:41AM
A good solution to that is Dr. Bronner's soap and other simple, biodegradable products.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 11 2022, @12:42PM
Who the fuck modded this a troll? It's a simple fact. Jesus, this site is dysfunctional.
(Score: 2) by LabRat on Friday February 11 2022, @02:13PM
It depends on how you wash it. Follow the directions on your clothes/additive, and you'll be fine. I'm not searching for it right now, but if memory serves, silver in systems like this is freed by bleach and acids but not by caustics like soap.