Fluorine-free, breathable, durable and thermal self-healable superhydrophobic cotton fabrics

Abstract

Micro-nano structures play a pivotal role in constructing superhydrophobic fabrics. However, the micro-nano structures, formed by hydrogen-bonding assembly of inorganic nanoparticles, are susceptible to falling off, making superhydrophobic fabrics nondurable during practical applications. To address this issue, chemical bonding is proposed to construct micro-nano structures on cellulosic fibers by reactive phenyl T₇-POSS-OH. Subsequently, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) binder is further introduced on surfaces of cotton fibers by dip-coating. Astonishingly, the treated cotton fabrics exhibit impressive superhydrophobic stability under harsh conditions including immersion in acidic/alkaline media, or organic solvents, high-temperature and outdoor exposures. Interestingly, the as-fabricated cotton fabrics show outstanding thermal self-healing capability even if suffered from extreme treatments including mechanical abrasion, UV irradiation, laundering and air plasma etching. Most notably, mechanical strength of the modified fabric is improved by two times as compared to that of the pristine cotton fabric. Unfortunately, both air permeability and thermal stability of the modified cotton fabric are slightly weakened due to reactive POSS. Additionally, the modified cotton fabric also exhibits excellent stain resistance, self-cleaning ability and oil-water separation performance. These findings provide an instructive strategy for developing durable multifunctional cotton fabrics, envisioning promising application prospects in self-cleaning, oil-water separation and water-proof fields in the future.