Nature-Inspired Hierarchical Protrusion Structure Construction for Washable and Wear-Resistant Superhydrophobic Textiles with Self-Cleaning Ability

Abstract

The use of toxic components and short longevity greatly restricted the commercial application of superhydrophobic surfaces in oil−water separation, antifouling, and self-cleaning. To address these concerns, a durable, robust, and fluorine-free superhydrophobic fabric is prepared on account of inspiration of nature. In this work, submicrometer-sized silica particles with different particle sizes are deposited onto cotton fabrics, followed by hydrophobic modification of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), and consequently bonded the substrate and coating via powerful covalent bonds through a simple dip-coating technique. The rough surface with an imitated lotus-leaf-like hierarchical protrusion structure is constructed by deposited submicrometer-sized particles with different particle sizes, while the fabric with a low surface energy is achieved by the hydrophobic modification of PDMS. Ultimately, the fabricated fabric exhibits extraordinary superhydrophobicity with a high water contact angle (WCA) of 161°and a small sliding hysteresis angle (SHA) of 2.4°. Besides, considerable mechanical stability to withstand 130 sandpaper abrasion cycles and 40 washing cycles, and chemical resistance with sustained superhydrophobic property in various harsh environments (e.g., boiling water, strong acid/base solutions, and various organic solvents), are presented. Moreover, higher than 90% separation efficiency with a contact angle >150 °is produced even after 50 cycles when the fabricated fabric serves as a filter during the oil−water separation besides its outstanding staining resistance and self-cleaning property.

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

“…This uneven surface roughness may not be favorable to its anti-wetting performance. [40] The surface wettability of the fabricated cotton fabric was tested by the static WCA and SHA measurements. As illustrated in Figure 4, the WCA and SHA of PDA/ZIF-8/PDMS@ cotton fabric were 151.5° and 9.5°, 154.7° and 5.6°, 156.4°, and 3.8°, 152.8° and 8.1° at a Zn 2+ /Hmim mole ratio of 1:16, 1:10, 1:8, and 1:6, respectively.…”

Asymmetric Superhydrophobic Textiles for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding, Photothermal Conversion, and Solar Water Evaporation

“…This is because the micro–nano structure is formed on the surface of the fibers, according to the Cassie model. , The WCA of the multifunctional textile was significantly increased with the synergy of SiO 2 /PDMS and PFOTES, and the WCA was up to 160° for the SPF surface of M5@SPF textile. The improvement in the WCA may be attributed to the construction of a robust layered protrusion structure with an appropriate combination of particles of different sizes on the surface of the textile . Interestingly, after spraying SiO 2 /PDMS and dip-coating PFOTES on the M x textile, the WCA was not significantly affected by the dip-coating times of MXene (Figure S6).…”

Applications of nanotechnology in smart textile industry: A critical review

“…Functionalities explored over the past couple of decades include bacterial resistance [20] , ease of dyeing [21] , hydrophobicity [22] , flame retardancy [3] , UV protection [23] , colorfastness [24] and ability for self-cleaning [25] . As described below, an area of intense current activity is to develop fabrics, and hence garments, that can harness, store and deliver energy to the wearer to power daily activities.…”

“…Examples that have been used include polyacetylene, polypyrrole, polyaniline [5] , Au [6] , Ag [7] , Pd [8] , Cu [9] , Si [10] , CuO [11] , ZnO [12] , carbon nanotube (CNT) [13] , [14] , TiO 2 [15] , [16] , chitosan [17] , MXenes [18] and graphene oxide (GO) [19] nanoparticles. Textiles modified with these nanomaterials have potential applications in wound healing [23] , [24] , air purification [25] , drug delivery [24] , cosmetics, renewable energy generation and electronic applications such as fabrication of on-body diodes, transistors and circuitry [7] .…”