Sustainable mosquito repellent finish on cotton using Eucalyptus globulus leaf dye extracts

Abstract

An attempt has been made to develop textiles, which can actively repel the mosquitoes from entering into the rooms by imparting nanoparticles in the form of prints. The active material used in the study is eucalyptus leaf nanoparticles in two forms, viz pre and post calcinated, each in two concentrations. The samples printed with nanoparticles are compared with the control sample (printed without nanoparticles) for mosquito repellent efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, using the modified WHOPES Excito chamber test method. The developed samples are also tested for durability to laundry until 15 wash cycles. The results show that the printed samples using eucalyptus leaf extracts in combination with nanoparticles in two forms have significantly higher mosquito-repellent efficacy. The study also reveals that 90% efficacy is achieved with 10% pre and post calcinated nanoparticles. The finding implies that samples printed with 10% pre and post calcinate nanoparticles have high mosquito-repellent efficacy even after 10 wash cycles and have commercial viability. These fabrics can be used for curtains and screens for doorways to reduce the entry of mosquitoes.