Despite the existence and deployment of a range of antimicrobial/disinfectant/sterilization technologies and products, transmission of infectious diseases remains a significant problem worldwide, continuing to cause hundreds of millions of infections and millions of deaths every year of both human beings and animals. State-of-the-art technologies suffer from several disadvantages including being discrete in space and time, being overly dependent on human skill and discipline, and in some cases having harmful side-effects to human health. This invention proposes a series of industrial grade antimicrobial product designs, and materials and methods to make them highly effective products that offer continuous antimicrobial action, with minimum dependence on human discipline and skill once deployed, and with no harmful side-effects. Methods may include either or both first and second materials be formed by vapor or solution-based coating schemes and many may be antimicrobial in nature. Nanopores and/or nanotubes engender an ultra-high anti-microbially active surface area.

The invention relates to treated cellulosic fibers comprising internally dispersed cuprous oxide (Cu.sub.2O) nanoparticles, methods of preparing such treated cellulosic fibers, and uses of such treated cellulosic fibers.

Despite the existence and deployment of a range of antimicrobial/disinfectant/sterilization technologies and products, transmission of infectious diseases remains a significant problem worldwide, continuing to cause hundreds of millions of infections and millions of deaths every year of both human beings and animals. State-of-the-art technologies suffer from several disadvantages including being discrete in space and time, being overly dependent on human skill and discipline, and in some cases having harmful side-effects to human health. This invention proposes a series of industrial grade antimicrobial product designs, and materials and methods to make them highly effective products that offer continuous antimicrobial action, with minimum dependence on human discipline and skill once deployed, and with no harmful side-effects. Methods may include either or both first and second materials be formed by vapor or solution-based coating schemes and many may be antimicrobial in nature. Nanopores and/or nanotubes engender an ultra-high anti-microbially active surface area.