Marta Fernandes

University of Minho · Centro de Ciências e Tecnologia Têxtil (CCTT/2C2T)

This research aimed at producing malleable, breathable and water impermeable bacterial cellulose‐based nanocomposites, by impregnating bacterial cellulose (BC) membranes with two commercial hydrophobic polymers used in textile finishing, Persoftal MS (polydimethylsiloxane) and Baygard EFN (perfluorocarbon), by an exhaustion process. These hydrophob...

Several studies report the potential of bacterial cellulose (BC) in the fashion and leather industries. This work aimed at the development of BC-based composites containing emulsified acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) that are polymerized with the redox initiator system hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and L-ascorbic acid and ferrous sulfate as a cat...

Nanotechnology is a powerful tool for engineering functional materials that has the potential to transform textiles into high-performance, value-added products. In recent years, there has been considerable interest in the development of functional textiles using metal nanoparticles (MNPs). The incorporation of MNPs in textiles allows for the obtent...

Nanocellulose (NC) represents a pivotal material for the sustainable strategies of the future. NC comprises cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs), cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), and bacterial nanocellulose (BNC), each exhibiting unique and exceptional physicochemical properties. These properties encompass high specific surface area, high tensile strength, l...

Potable water scarcity is a foreseen inevitability due to the global growing population, climate change, and continuous anthropogenic contamination of this vital good with recalcitrant hazardous compounds. Textile industry represents one of the main polluting industries in the world, particularly due to the contamination of massive amounts of water...

Nanocellulose already proved to be a highly relevant material for biomedical applications, ensued by its outstanding mechanical properties and, more importantly, its biocompatibility. Nevertheless, despite their previous intensive research, a notable number of emerging applications are still being developed. Interestingly, this drive is not solely...

Antimicrobial hydrogels have been extensively studied for wound management, owing to their high water content, lower wound adherence, promoted autolysis debridement, epithelial migration, and granulation growth. A wide range of antimicrobial hydrogels have been developed as a result of recent advances in materials science, biotechnology, and a bett...

Chestnut wood extracts are rich in tannins that exhibit numerous health-promoting properties. The incorporation of 5% (w/v) chestnut extract within the nanofibrous structure of bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) produced by Gluconacetobacter hansenii ATCC 53582 was obtained through exhaustion. This simple processing methodology resulted in a flexible (u...

This work aimed at studying the dyeing of cotton fabrics with madder extract using two biomordants, quebracho tree extract (Schinopsis spp.) and laccase. Pre-treatment with quebracho increased the colour strength, washing and UV light fastness, and UV protection, while laccase only shows an increase in the UV light fastness. The application of biom...

To achieve good colour depth and fastness of naturally dyed fabrics is necessary to use mordants, usually metallic salts, which are potentially harmful to the environment and human health. In this work, the effect of plasma and cationization pre-treatments on cotton fabrics dyed with natural dye madder extract was investigated as environmentally su...

O objetivo deste estudo foi o desenvolvimento de propriedades anti-UV em tecidos de poliamida 6.6 e tecidos de lã através do tingimento com extrato aquoso obtido a partir de folhas de teca (Tectona grandis). O extrato foi obtido em diferentes temperaturas para avaliar a influência dessa variável na eficiência de extração do corante. O tingimento fo...

This research investigated the development of bio-based composites comprising bacterial cellulose (BC), as obtained by static culture, and acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) as an alternative to leather. AESO was first emulsified; polyethylene glycol (PEG), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and perfluorocarbon-based polymers were also added to the A...

In this work, recycled paper sludge (RPS), composed of non-recyclable fibres, was used as a carbon source for bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) production. The biomass was enzymatically hydrolysed with Cellic CTec 2 to produce a sugar syrup with 45.40 g/L glucose, 1.69 g/L cellobiose and 2.89 g/L xylose. This hydrolysate was used for the optimization o...

The use of natural dyes is a field of great interest to solve the problems related to environment pollution and health risks. The objective of this research was to study the plasma discharge of double dielectric barrier (DDB) to modify the fabrics surfaces of polyamide 6.6 (PA66), silk (SK) and cotton (CO) dyed with leaf extract of teak (Tectona gr...

The use of natural dyes for textile fibers has become an alternative to solve issues as environmental pollution and health risks caused by synthetic dyes. With this purpose, the use of silkworm excrement to dye textile fibers was targeted in silk (SK) and polyamide 6.6 (PA) weave fabric. This extract was characterized by spectroscopy to evaluate th...

The objective of the current research is to study the versatility of the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma treatment for surface modification of silk fabrics dyed with yerba mate dye (Ilex paraguariensis). An analysis to check for improvement of properties regarding the penetration and fixation of natural dyes without the use of metallic mo...

Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society. COLL 373. 253th ACS National Meeting, April 2-6, 2017, San Francisco, USA.

This work studies the surface characteristics, the antimicrobial activity and the aging effect, of plasma pre-treated polyamide 6,6 fabrics (PA66) coated with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), with the aim to identify the optimum size of nanosilver exhibiting antibacterial properties suitable for manufacturing of hospital textiles. The release of bacte...

This work studies the surface characteristics, the antimicrobial activity and the aging effect, of plasma pre-treated polyamide 6,6 fabrics (PA66) coated with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), with the aim to identify the optimum size of nanosilver exhibiting antibacterial properties suitable for manufacturing of hospital textiles. The release of bacte...

Polyester (PES) fabrics were treated with plasma to enhance the adhesion of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and produce conductive fabrics. The surface energy of the plasma treated fabrics was measured using contact angle measurements and showed a stabilization of this parameter with plasma dosages of 3000 W min m−2. The surface roughness measured by...

The use of microcapsules has increased in several different areas, namely, textile applications. They have been used as a possible means of introducing new properties, namely, in medical care by antibiotics, skin moisturizers, and other drugs and for thermal comfort. In this study, we examined the influence of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) pla...