Superhydrophobic Cotton Fabrics Research Articles

Fabrication of sustainable and durable superwetting cotton fabrics with plant polyphenol for on-demand oil/water separation

Superwetting cotton fabrics with surface wettability from underwater superoleophobic to superhydrophobic were designed and prepared by modification with polymerized plant polyphenol for on-demand oil/water separation. Hydrophilic poly(tannic acid) (PTA) particles were in-situ deposited onto the surface of polyethyleneimine (PEI)-coated cotton fabric. The resulting underwater superoleophobic cotton fabric (UWSOCF) was a water-removing material to separate water/light oil mixtures with a separation efficiency higher than 99.8%. After modifying UWSOCF with hydrophobic octadecylamine (ODA), superhydrophobic cotton fabric (SHCF) was obtained. SHCF was an oil-removing material suitable for separating water/heavy oil mixtures with a separation efficiency higher than 96%. Both UWSOCF and SHCF exhibited excellent mechanical robustness and environmental durability and could resist mechanical abrasion, tape peeling, high temperatures, organic solvents, and acidic/alkali erosion.

Durable superhydrophobic cotton fabric from cardanol/POSS-based polybenzoxazine for high-efficiency oil/water separation

Durable superhydrophobic cotton fabric from cardanol/POSS-based polybenzoxazine for high-efficiency oil/water separation

Adhesion behavior of different droplet on superhydrophobic surface of cotton fabric based on oxygen plasma etching

Oxygen plasma etching followed with spraying of hydrophobic suspension containing SiO2 nanoparticles were used to construct superhydrophobic cotton fabric, and the adhesion behavior of the superhydrophobic surface to deionized water, dye liquor, sterile defibrinated sheep blood, and simulated blood solutions was studied and evaluated in focus. Results of the present study showed the water contact and water slip angles of the superhydrophobic cotton fabric were 158.6° and 7.3° with 5 wt% of hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS). The plasma etching imparted uniform strip grooves on the fiber, which together with the deposition of SiO2 nanoparticles constituted a dual-scale rough structure on the fabric surface. FTIR analysis showed the successful combination of HDTMS and SiO2 nanoparticles and covering on the cotton surface. This superhydrophobic surface possessed hydrophobic effect even after 35 times of abrasion and immersion in strong acid or alkali solutions for 8 h. The surface tension and viscosity of simulated blood and sterile defibrinated sheep blood (SDSB) were similar, with a contact angle of only 139.7° and a slip angle above 20°. And their adhesion forces were calculated by the Cassie-Baxter equation to be 30.93 and 37.88 μN. Moreover, the droplets placement of simulated blood and SDSB on the superhydrophobic surface for 2 h caused trace adhesion but no penetration. This indicated that the superhydrophobic surface had anti-adhesion performance to the liquids. In conclusion, it was evident that the superhydrophobic fabric has good application prospects in the field of textiles for daily life and medical protection.

Conductive, superhydrophobic, and microwave-absorbing cotton fabric by dip-coating of aqueous silk nanofibers stabilized MWCNTs and octadecanoyl chain bonding

Conductive, superhydrophobic, and microwave-absorbing cotton fabric by dip-coating of aqueous silk nanofibers stabilized MWCNTs and octadecanoyl chain bonding

Preparation of Durable Superhydrophobic Cotton Fabric for Self-cleaning and Oil-water Separation

Improving the surface roughness and reducing the surface energy are the main strategies for constructing cotton fabrics with superhydrophobic surface. However, the complex finishing process and poor durability still impede the production and application of superhydrophobic cotton fabrics. Therefore, it is critical to produce superhydrophobic fabrics with excellent durability via a noncomplicated method. In this work, monomers of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and trifluoroethyl methacrylate (TFMA) were polymerized via free radical polymerization to produce a fluoropolymer. Then, the fabric was coated with the fluoropolymer to construct a superhydrophobic surface via the pad-dry-cure technology. The TFMA unit in the fluoropolymer had lower surface energy than the MMA unit. Under the high-temperature curing condition, the MMA unit in the fluoropolymer was grafted onto the cotton fabric via transesterification, and the TFMA was exposed on the fabric surface. The finished fabric showed durable superhydrophobic properties, outstanding oil-water separation properties, and excellent self-cleaning properties. Given the results, the finished fabric has great potential application in clothing and industrial fields.

Nanoparticle-free, Fluorine-free, and Robust Superhydrophobic Cotton Fabric Fabricated Using a Combination of Etching Method and Mist Polymerization Technology

Nanoparticle-free, Fluorine-free, and Robust Superhydrophobic Cotton Fabric Fabricated Using a Combination of Etching Method and Mist Polymerization Technology

Fabrication of Durably Superhydrophobic Cotton Fabrics by Polystyrene Latex Particles and Polydimethylsiloxane via Mist Polymerization Technology

Fabrication of Durably Superhydrophobic Cotton Fabrics by Polystyrene Latex Particles and Polydimethylsiloxane via Mist Polymerization Technology

Chitosan/sodium polyborate based micro-nano coating with high flame retardancy and superhydrophobicity for cotton fabric.

In this work, a sustainable flame retardant and superhydrophobic cotton fabric was prepared by a two-step process: the cotton fabric was firstly treated with a chitosan/sodium polyborate polyelectrolyte complex water solution to obtain a flame retardant layer, and then treated with a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) tetrahydrofuran solution to construct a superhydrophobic layer. The phase-separated chitosan with a micro-nano roughness structure was covered by PDMS, which synergistically improved the hydrophobicity of the cotton fabric. The flammability evaluation indicated that the limiting oxygen index value of the treated fabric was increased to 40.0% from 18.2%, the peak of heat release rate was reduced by 63.8%, and the total heat release was reduced by 57.6% compared with that of the control sample. The enhanced flame retardancy was attributed to the excellent charring ability in the condensed phase. The treated fabric also showed anti-sticking, self-cleaning, and oil/water-separating properties. This coating treatment without any F, Cl, Br, P elements involved is regarded as a clean methodology for producing flame retardant and superhydrophobic cotton fabrics.

Superhydrophobic natural melanin-coated cotton with excellent UV protection and personal thermal management functionality

This study presents a new approach to imparting the combined functionalities of superhydrophobicity, UV protection and personal thermal management via the photothermal effect to cotton fabrics. Surface modification of fabrics was carried out by applying coatings containing natural melanin (NM) particles extracted from yak hair and fluorine-free polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer via a dip-pad-dry-cure process. Different concentrations of NM particles were used in the coatings and the roles of each ingredient in achieving the desired functionalities were investigated. In addition, the relationship between NM content and the resultant durability of the coatings was explored based on the variations in superhydrophobicity, UV protection, photothermal performance, and color strength of the fabrics. The results demonstrated that the non-fluorinated NM/PDMS coatings were highly effective in developing a superhydrophobic cotton fabric with a water contact angle of 164°. The NM-coated fabrics provided a rapid heating effect under near-infrared light and their temperature increased to 38.4–45.3 °C, which was up to 14.7 °C higher than that of pristine cotton. Furthermore, the application of NM particles resulted in an excellent UV protection performance and generated the UV protection factor level of 198.48 on cotton fabrics. Finally, the coated fabrics were highly breathable and showed high stability against 1000 abrasion cycles, 5 accelerated washing tests, and 70 h UV irradiation. These findings provide new pathways in the development of future functional textiles using user-friendly and biocompatible ingredients.

Eco-friendly synthesis of robust bioinspired cotton fabric with hybrid wettability for integrated water harvesting and water purification

The super-wettability surfaces have attracted tremendous attention as multifunctional materials for the increasing shortage of water resources. Although the bioinspired patterned superhydrophobic-hydrophilic surfaces have been used for water collection, its practical applications are seriously restricted by the complicated or pollution-carrying fabrication methods, the poor durability, and the specific application. It is highly desirable to synthesize the versatile robust surfaces with special wettability for synergistic water harvesting and water purification. In this work, the “one-for-all” robust cotton fabric with hybrid wettability for integrated water harvesting and water purification was prepared by the facile, non-fluorinated, and eco-friendly method. The performance of durability, oil/water separation, self-cleaning and antibacterial of superhydrophobic cotton fabric (SHC) was investigated. Experiment results indicated that the unique three-dimensional (3D) isotropic structure and extraordinary intrinsic properties of tetrapod-shaped ZnO (T-ZnO) enhanced the comprehensive performance of SHC as compared to those incorporated with conventional fillers. The excellent antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) were still retained even after serious mechanical damage. Moreover, the superhydrophobic-hydrophilic patterned cotton fabrics were achieved after SHC covering with different masks under UV irradiation. By regulating the droplet coalescence and transportation during water harvesting, the as-prepared patterned fabric exhibited the enhanced water collection rate (WCR) up to 208.3 mg cm−2·h−1, which was 3 times higher than that of the superhydrophilic or superhydrophobic cotton fabrics. Therefore, this simple strategy to achieve cotton fabric with hybrid wettability shows a promising application in integrated water treatment.

A Durable Fluorine‐Free MOF‐Based Self‐Cleaning Superhydrophobic Cotton Fabric for Oil‐Water Separation

AbstractIt is challenging to fabricate durable and fluorine‐free superhydrophobic surfaces through simple procedures. In this study, a novel fabrication method for constructing robust, wearable, and fluorine‐free superhydrophobic surfaces on cotton textiles has been achieved via in situ growth of zeolitic imidazolate framework‐8 (ZIF‐8) layers followed by polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) modification. The roughness created by the sheet‐like structure is optimized by tuning the mole ratio between 2‐methylimidazole and zinc nitrate during the in situ growth, while polydopamine (PDA) is introduced to improve the durability and stability. The resultant PDA/ZIF‐8/PDMS@cotton fabric exhibits a maximum water contact angle of 156.4° and a low sliding hysteresis angle of 3.8°. The as‐prepared superhydrophobic fabric also presents excellent durability and stability, and outstanding resistance against continuous sunlight exposure and various chemical reagents. In addition, the superhydrophobic surface possesses excellent self‐cleaning and anti‐fouling performance, as well as high separation efficiency >97% and reusability when serving as a filter during the oil‐water separation. The proposed approach and prepared superhydrophobic fabric strongly demonstrate the potential applications in oil‐water separation with a prolonged life cycle.

Robust ZnO/HNTs-based superhydrophobic cotton fabrics with UV shielding, self-cleaning, photocatalysis, and oil/water separation

In this work, robust superhydrophobic cotton fabrics with ultraviolet (UV) shielding, self-cleaning, photocatalysis, and oil/water separation were successfully prepared based on micro/nano hierarchical ZnO/HNTs (halloysite nanotubes) hybrid particles and silicone elastomer polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). ZnO/HNTs hybrid particles were prepared by in-situ growth of ZnO nanoparticles on the surface of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs). ZnO/HNTs hybrid particles and PDMS were used to successively coat cotton fabrics by dip-coating approach. The coated cotton fabrics displayed excellent superhydrophobicity with a water contact angle (WCA) of 162.5 ± 1.0° owing to the roughness provided by micro/nano hierarchical ZnO/HNTs hybrid particles and low surface energy achieved by PDMS. After being exposed to the UV lamp for 5 h, about 90.8% of the methylene blue was degraded, indicating that the coated cotton fabrics had excellent photocatalytic activity. The as-prepared cotton fabrics also displayed outstanding self-cleaning and antifouling properties. In addition, due to both superhydrophobic and superoleophilic characteristics, the as-prepared cotton fabrics could be used to separate several oil/water mixtures and showed good recoverability. The superhydrophobic cotton fabrics also exhibited excellent UV shielding performance with a large ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of 1643.28 due to strong ultraviolet-absorption, light scattering and frequent light reflection of ZnO nanoparticles from ZnO/HNTs composites coated on cotton fabrics. Importantly, the as-prepared cotton fabrics retained superhydrophobic performance after 2000 cycles rubbing, 90 h UV illumination, and immersing in acidic and alkali solutions with different pH values ranging from 1 to 14 for 1 h. These characteristics made multifunctional cotton fabrics a satisfactory candidate in various promising fields.Graphical abstract

Versatile superhydrophobic bismuth molybdate cotton fabric for oil/water separation and decompose dyestuff.

Water pollution caused by the discharged insolubility petroleum contaminants and organic compound dyes seriously threatens the natural self-purity capacity of the water body and the survival of aquatic species, so it is imperative to restraint the deterioration of the aquatic environment. In this paper, pathways are propounded for the simultaneous removal of insoluble spilling oil and organic dye contaminants. Particularly, hydrophobic ZnSnO3 after stearic acid modification and Bi2MoO6 photocatalysts are introduced into the cotton fabric substrate through solution dip-coating. The durability of the prepared fabric suffers from the acid-base corrosion, thermal treatment and mechanical wear, while still exhibiting remarkable water-repellent (WCA > 150°) property. Furthermore, the remarkable photocatalytic activity makes it possible for reusable degradation and the primary active species, namely the holes, to be verified by the radicals-capturing experiment. It is worth observing that as-prepared superhydrophobic fabric possesses admirable water-proof property and cycling durability of decomposing toxic water-soluble organic dye, thereby contributing to further realizing the ecological concept of clear waters.

Multifunctional superhydrophobic self-cleaning cotton fabrics with oil-water separation and dye degradation via thiol-ene click reaction

• Fluorine-free superhydrophobic and self-cleaning cotton fabric was fabricated. • The modified cotton fabric was tolerant towards different harsh conditions. • The prepared fabric performed great oil–water separation and MB photodegradation. • The separation efficiency was above 99.8% with 6000 L·m −2 ·h −1 after 20 cycles. • The MB photodegradation was above 97% after 5 cycles. Wastewater treatment is a process of significant socio-environmental implications, constantly calling for effective methods towards higher sustainability. In this work, an environment-friendly fluorine-free modified cotton fabric (C-S-TiO 2 cotton fabric) was successfully prepared by the combination of in-situ growth of TiO 2 and hydrophobic modification with octadecyl methacrylate (ODMA) by thiol-ene click reaction. The prepared cotton fabric showed superhydrophobicity/superoleophilicity (water contact angle≈156.2°), self-cleaning property and an ultra-high separation efficiency (>99.90 %) for different kinds of oil–water mixtures with the flux up to 6800 L m −2 h −1 . It was found that the achieved oil separation efficiency was above 99.80 % after 20 cycles. Besides, the C-S-TiO 2 cotton fabric demonstrated an excellent photocatalytic degradation rate for methyl blue (MB) (98.0 %) and the degradation rate was still above 97.0 % after 5 cycles. Importantly, the C-S-TiO 2 cotton fabric was tolerant towards different harsh environments conditioned by acidic solution, alkaline solution, salt solution, and organic solvent. Herein, C-S-TiO 2 cotton fabric was regarded as a promising material for complex wastewater treatment.

Robust multifunctional superhydrophobic, photocatalytic and conductive fabrics with electro-/photo-thermal self-healing ability

The fabrication of superhydrophobic and conductive fabrics that can conveniently and repeatedly restore the lost superhydrophobicity, caused by either the surface accumulation of trace organic contaminants or the chemical damage to surface components, remains challenging. Herein, we report a multifunctional superhydrophobic and conductive cotton fabric that integrates not only the photocatalytic activity for cleaning organic contaminants, but also the self-healing ability enabled by either electro-thermal or photo-thermal heating besides convection oven heating. The fabric was fabricated through the polydopamine (PDA)-assisted deposition of photocatalyst Ag/CdS and the subsequent thiol-Ag self-assembly. Either UV or visible light irradiation is able to decompose the surface organic contaminants, and the photocatalysis-induced slight damage on super water-repellency is curable by heating. The Ag layer endows the fabric with antibacterial property and conductivity along with the electro-/photo-thermal conversion ability, which offers relatively convenient ways of heating for curing the surface chemical damages caused by O2 plasma etching or accelerated washing. Of particular importance is that the fabric still shows super water-repellency even after 18 cycles of accelerated washing, which equals to 90 normal home laundering cycles. The combination of these multiple functions makes this fabric very promising for a wide range of wearable applications.

Fabrication and multifunctional properties of fluorine-free durable nickel stearate based superhydrophobic cotton fabric

Fabrication and multifunctional properties of fluorine-free durable nickel stearate based superhydrophobic cotton fabric

Facile preparation of superhydrophobic cotton fabric with a photothermal conversion effect via polypyrrole deposition for oil/water separation

In recent years, offshore oil leakage incidents have occurred relatively frequently and it has been a challenge to effectively recover the oil due to its high viscosity. Herein, a novel superhydrophobic cotton fabric with a photothermal conversion effect for efficient separation of crude oil was prepared by a facile and inexpensive vapor deposition method. After the cotton fabric adsorbs Fe3+ions, stearic acid (SA) with low surface energy is introduced into the fabric. Then the pyrrole monomers were polymerized to polypyrrole (PPy) by Fe3+ ions through vapor deposition method to obtain a fabric with photothermal properties and superhydrophobicity. The modified fabric showed good abrasion resistance, acid/alkali resistance, and self-cleaning properties. In addition, the modified fabric exhibited excellent photothermal conversion performance, and its surface temperature was able to increase from 30.0 °C to 59.5 °C in 2 min, and reached 68.2 °C in 5 min under simulated sunlight. Finally, three kinds of oil-water separation methods were adopted to separate oil from water with different viscosities, and all of them showed high separation efficiency, with the maximum reaching 99.4%. Under the simulated sunlight, the modified fabric could reduce the crude oil viscosity through photothermal conversion effect, so as to improve the efficiency of selectively absorbing crude oil from water, which increased from 83.2% to 91.8%.

Preparation of super-hydrophobic cotton fabrics with the controllable roughening fiber surface by carbene polymerization grafting

Superhydrophobic cotton fabrics were successfully prepared by grafting modification of cotton fabrics through carbene polymer induced crystallization and self-assembly. The structures and properties of grafted polymer crystals on the surface of cotton fabrics were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). The surface grafting positions with diazo active groups were pre-constructed on the fibers. The 3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,6-nonfluorohexyl diazoacetate (Hex(C4F9)DA) and 3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,8-tridecafluorooctyl diazoacetate (Oct(C6F13)DA) were synthesized as precursors followed by carbene grafting to fiber. Under different reaction conditions, the polymer crystallized on the fiber surface and produced different morphologies such as solid rods, hollow rods, and spheres. The surface morphology was controllable by changing the medium, reaction time and kinetic conditions. When 3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,6-nonfluorohexyl diazoacetate (Hex(C4F9)DA) was used as the precursor and tetrahydrofuran (THF) as the solvent, the grafted cotton fabric exhibited excellent hydrophobic properties with a water contact angle of 152°. When 3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,8-tridecafluorooctyl diazoacetate (Oct(C6F13)DA) was used as the grafting precursor, THF or THF/EtOH mixed solvent was used as the reaction medium, the contact angle of the as-prepared cotton fabric to water was measured to be 151° and 154°, respectively. During the carbene grafting polymerization, the solvent has a significant influence on the morphology of the grafted polymer. The WCA and EDS results suggest that the synergistic effect between the rough structure of the grafted cotton fabric surface and the low surface energy of fluorine element made the fabric super-hydrophobic.

Durable superhydrophobic and oleophobic cotton fabric based on the grafting of fluorinated POSS through silane coupling and thiol-ene click reaction

Fluorinated polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (F-POSS) has been widely used for preparing liquid-repellent coatings. It is usually pre-synthesized and dispersed in expensive fluoro-solvent (or fluorosurfactant solution) for dip coating. Since the melting temperature of F-POSS is not high (122–140 °C), its loss during use is inevitable. However, reports on the grafting of F-POSS on substrate are rare. In this work, we report the fabrication of superhydrophobic and oleophobic cotton fabrics through the silane coupling of (heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetradecyl) trimethoxysilane (FAS) and 3-mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane (MPTES) on cotton fiber and the subsequent UV-induced thiol-ene click reaction between octavinyloctasilasesquioxane (OVPOSS) and MPTES thiols (and 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorododecyl-1-thiol, PFDT). The as-prepared FAS/SH-F-POSS cotton fabric showed superhydrophobicity and high oleophobicity, as well as good durability and self-healing ability. It can withstand at least 15 accelerated washing cycles, 2000 abrasion cycles over sandpaper, 10 cycles of O 2 plasma etching, acid/alkaline/salt solution corrosion, and 25 cycles of UV aging/moist erosion. Such a durable superhydrophobic and oleophobic cotton fabric is useful for functional clothing and textile products in various fields.

A facile strategy to fabricate silver-functionalized superhydrophobic cotton fabrics with long-term antibacterial properties

Silver-functionalized textiles, as the most common protective medical materials, have attracted considerable attention. However, poor antibacterial durability and relatively tedious preparation process limit their applications. In this study, a kind of multifunctional cotton fabric was prepared through simultaneous dip-coating of silver-silica hybrid nanoparticles (Ag-MSNs) and fluorinated MSNs (F-MSNs), providing excellent antifouling ability due to superhydrophobicity and long-term antibacterial properties from the sustained release of Ag ions (Ag+). Detailed studies were performed to evaluate their structure and protective performance, especially the long-term antibacterial properties of the obtained fabrics were tested by the inhibition zone experiment for 25 d. The as-prepared fabrics showed good non-wetting properties and sustained antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Further washing and abrasion experimentations demonstrated that the as-prepared fabrics had stable hydrophobicity and antibacterial properties, much more reliable than commercial antibacterial gauze. Considering the inexpensive and simple preparation process as well as long-term and efficient effect for sterilization, the strategy paves a new and facile way for the fabrication of multifunctional fabrics with robust hydrophobic and antibacterial activity.