In the present study we demonstrated the fabrication of smart antibacterial nano-textile material development by nanostructured magnesium oxide particles (MgO-NPs). The gel combustion process was adopted to prepare the MgO-NPs which, after being combined with an acrylic binder, were coated over bleached cotton fabrics through a facile pad-dry-cure method. Physicochemical characterizations were carried out using analytical instruments including XRD, SEM, TEM, FE-SEM, AFM, FTIR and TGA. The MgO-NPs impregnated cotton fabrics were tested to evaluate their antibacterial properties and demonstrated good resistance towards bacterial activity when comparing the Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae, respectively. This work envisages a strategic approach to develop smart textiles application for biomedical applications. © 2023 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.