Preparation of Superhydrophobic Cotton Fabric with Ultraviolet Resistance and Photocatalysis Based on CuS/Reduced Graphene Oxide

Abstract

AbstractIn the present study, the superhydrophobic cotton fabrics with ultraviolet (UV) resistance and photocatalytic properties were fabricated by polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and CuS/reduced graphene oxide (RGO). The CuS/RGO particles enhanced the surface roughness, and PDMS was used to reduce the surface energy of cotton fabrics and increase the adhesion of CuS/RGO particles to cotton fabrics. The water contact angle (WCA) of coated cotton fabrics could reach ∼158.4°, endowing the fabrics with excellent self‐cleaning and oil‐water separation properties. It is confirmed that cotton fabric can obtain superhydrophobic property by adjusting the concentration of CuS/RGO and PDMS. Thanks to the good photocatalytic activity and excellent ultraviolet absorption capacity of the composite material, the superhydrophobic fabrics possessed outstanding ultraviolet resistance with the maximum UV protection factor (UPF) of 851.2 and photocatalytic performance with the photocatalytic degradation rate of methylene blue 92 %. Furthermore, the prepared cotton fabric retained superhydrophobicity after 90 h UV irradiation or 2000 cycles rubbing. The flexible superhydrophobic cotton fabrics with UV protection had promising application prospects in various fields.