Pages 205–208
Abstract
Research summary supplied by the authors
The leather industry is rapidly evolving to meet growing consumer demand for multifunctional and value-added materials. Traditional fragrant leathers primarily enhance aroma but often suffer from short fragrance retention, weak stability and lack of antimicrobial protection. Fungal growth on leather is a common issue in damp or sweat-exposed conditions, leading to stains, surface defects, roughness, and reduced mechanical strength, ultimately degrading product quality. Generally, biocides such as pentachlorophenol, dimethyl fumarate, 2- (thiocyanomethylthio)benzothiazole, etc., are used to protect the leather products from fungal growth. These chemicals pose a threat to human health and the environment, and are listed in the REACH regulation. To overcome this problem, antimicrobial/cleaning solutions are available, which are a temporary measure, and the leather is prone to getting contaminated again. On the other hand, conventional leather perfuming technology has limitations such as easy volatilization of the fragrance, poor thermal stability, and bad compatibility, affecting the product’s durability. There is a demand for environment-friendly fragrance products for making scented leather goods/ accessories without affecting their bulk properties. To address these limitations, this study focuses on developing a smart antimicrobial fragrant leather *Correspondence author e-mail: punitha.clri@csir.res.in . using essential oil nanoencapsulates using silica as wall material. In this work, peppermint-oil–silica nanocapsules were prepared via controlled hydrolysis and condensation reactions. Further, the synthesized nanocapsules were characterized using DLS (295.3±3.85 nm) & Zeta potential (5.34 mV, whereas oil has -2.93 mV), TGA (oil loading efficiency), ATRFTIR, SEM & TEM (75-150 nm). These nanocapsules were subsequently infused into leather during the posttanning and finishing and assessed its antimicrobial and fragrant nature. Overall, this study demonstrates a promising approach to develop multifunctional leather with improved fragrance retention and antimicrobial property.