article · Research Journal of Textile and Apparel
Photocatalysts are increasingly integrated into nanotextiles to enhance their functional properties and meet diverse societal needs. Incorporating these materials enables textiles to achieve antimicrobial resistance, ultraviolet protection, odour and moisture removal, and flame retardancy, while improving overall fabric durability. Despite these functional advancements, significant challenges persist regarding the long-term instability of photocatalysts, the physical durability of the resulting nanotextiles, and potential environmental and human health risks. Looking ahead, modern computational methods including artificial intelligence and machine learning strategies offer promising pathways to optimise these materials. Such digital tools can help determine the ideal balances and chemical concentrations required in textile manufacturing, supporting the creation of more robust and effective functional fabrics.
Textiles are fundamental to everyday life, and functionalising them with nanotechnology creates fabrics that actively protect against microbes, solar radiation, and fire hazards. Addressing persistent obstacles surrounding chemical instability and health risks is crucial to ensuring that advanced, high-performance fabrics can be produced safely and effectively for wider public use.
The findings are relevant to technical textile manufacturers developing specialised fabrics with protective, flame-retardant, or antimicrobial features. Chemical formulators could utilise artificial intelligence to optimise production recipes. However, commercial deployment remains at an early, developmental stage due to unresolved questions regarding photocatalyst stability, textile durability, and potential environmental and health risks.
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Purpose This study aims to highlight the integration of photocatalysts into textiles for various applications. One of the basic necessities in people’s lives is textiles. The advent of technology has progressively improved on the development of textiles to meet societal needs. Nanotechnology has been a hotspot research field and has played a pivotal role in designing and fabricating nanotextiles. Design/methodology/approach This study provides photocatalytic mechanisms involved in antimicrobial resistance, UV protection, odor and moisture removal, flame retardancy and durability functional enhancement in textiles. Current progress and advancement in photocatalytic nanotextiles focusing on enhancement of functionalities were also presented in this review. Findings This study also discussed challenges such as photocatalyst instability, durability of the nanotextile and environmental and health risk potentials among others. Originality/value Emphasizing integration of photocatalysts into textiles with future trends, such as Artificial Intelligent (AI) and machining learning strategies, could be used to determine the optimum concentration and balances in textile chemistry for enhanced functionality.
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DOI: 10.1108/rjta-12-2025-0307
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