Durable antimicrobial cotton fabrics treated with a novel N-halamine compound

5,5-Dimethyl-3-((3’-triethoxysilylpropylamido)propyl)hydantoin (Si-Hy), a novel N-halamine precursor, has been synthesized in this work. The traditional pad-dry-cure process was used to coat the produced Si-Hy onto cotton fabrics. The coated fabric was characterized by SEM, FTIR and XPS. After exposure to chlorine bleach, the treated fabric presented good antimicrobial ability. The chlorinated sample demonstrated potent antibacterial ability against S. aureus (ATCC 6538) and E. coli O157:H7 (ATCC 43895) in brief contact time. Sixty seven percent of oxidative chlorine was retained and over 85 % of chlorine could be recharged after storage for 15 days and rechlorination. The antibacterial materials with good biocidal efficacies have potential applications in the healthcare industry.