Fabrication of Superhydrophobic and UV-Resistant Silk Fabrics with Laundering Durability and Chemical Stabilities

Zihui Liang,Zezhu Zhou,Binghai Dong,Shimin Wang

doi:10.3390/coatings10040349

Abstract

To obtain a superhydrophobic surface, SiO2 nanoparticles are deposited on the surface of silk fabric (SF) by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) to form a hierarchical roughness structure. In addition, a durable superhydrophobic SiO2@silk fabric was further prepared by hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) modification. Compared with bare silk, the surfaces of the SiO2@silk fabric exhibit higher surface roughness and excellent superhydrophobic activity, with a contact angle (CA) of ~152°. The excellent UV resistance of SiO2@silk fabric was confirmed with high UV protection factor (UPF) values and a low UV transmittance. Moreover, both the laundering durability and chemical stability of the SiO2@silk fabric were improved. Overall, this method is recognized as a promising approach to produce high-end fabric development. It can also guide the design of multifunctional fiber materials in the future.

Highlights

Silk, a natural protein filament fiber, containing eighteen amino acids, has been widely used in textile manufacturing for a long time
As shown in FE-SEM images, it can be seen that the surface of the bare silk fabric is very smooth (Figure 2a,b)
Many dense cracks and a few particle clusters can be observed on the surface of silk fabric (SF)-5SiO2 (Figure 2c, d), which may be attributed to the aggregation of neighboring SiO2 nanoparticles

Summary

Introduction

A natural protein filament fiber, containing eighteen amino acids, has been widely used in textile manufacturing for a long time. Because of the abundant hydrophilic groups (hydroxyl, carboxyl, and amino) on the surface of silk fiber and fabric, it brings some inherent defects, such as low thermal stability, high flammability, poor bacterial resistance, ease in being dirtied, and weak UV protection capability. This seriously hinders their extensive application for luxurious fashionable apparels [6,7]. Inspired by the lotus leaf, great efforts have been made to explore new superhydrophobic and UV resistant silk fibers/fabrics [8,9]. Huang et al [11] successfully constructed a robust superhydrophobic

Methods

Results

Conclusion