Self-cleaning, stain-resistant and anti-bacterial superhydrophobic cotton fabric prepared by simple immersion technique

In this paper, superhydrophobicity of cotton fabric was produced by simple immersion method in non fluorinated hexadecyltrimethoxysilane solution. Modified cotton fabric showed repellency to water and liquids with surface tension of more than 47 mN/m, with a static contact angle of more than 150 degrees and tilt angle of less than 10 degrees. The mechanical, chemical, thermal, and UV stability of superhydrophobic cotton fabric was evaluated. Modified cotton fabric exhibited the self-cleaning and stain-resistant properties. It also showed that it could be used for oil-water separation application with separation efficiency of about 99%. Additionally, the modified cotton fabric exhibited anti-bacterial properties. This approach is facile, economical, and eco-friendly and can be applied for household and industrial applications. (C) 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.