A review on the role of plasma technology in the nano-finishing of textile materials with metal and metal oxide nanoparticles

Nano-finishing of textiles with metal and metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) is relatively simple, but insufficiently efficient binding between the fibers and NPs poses a big problem because of the poor stability of textile nanocomposites. A good way to overcome this problem is to activate the fibers by plasma. Selection of gas and optimization of plasma processing parameters lead to a generation of new functional groups improving the binding of NPs. Another approach relies on the formation of stable nano-coatings by magnetron sputtering. Progress has been recently made in plasma-assisted in situ synthesis of metal NPs where toxic chemical reducing agents were replaced with short plasma treatment. This review paper addresses substantial roles of plasma, which enhance the performance of nano-finished textiles.