Facile preparation of multi-scale nanoarchitectures on cotton fabric with low surface energy for high performance self-cleaning

Self-cleaning cotton fabric with excellent amphiphobicity was fabricated by building micro-nanostructures with low surface energy on cotton fabric surface. TiO2 and SiO2 blend nanoparticles modified by hydrolytic (heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetradecyl)trimethoxysilane (17-FAS) were co-deposited onto cotton fabric by two different coating methods: 1) suction filtration for immobilizing the modified TiO2/SiO2 onto cotton fabric based on cellulose swollen action by N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO) solution; 2) adhesion by spraying waterborne polyurethane (WPU) before coating. The performance of self-cleaning fabric was investigated by draping properties, air permeability, water-vapor transmission, tensile properties, abrasion resistance and washing fastness. The resultant self-cleaning fabric exhibited superhydrophobicity and excellent oleophobicity based on contact angles of 151.9 degrees for water, 141.7 degrees for liquid paraffin, 137.8 degrees for epoxidized soybean oil and 133.1 degrees for diesel oil, respectively. WPU method possessed better washing fastness and could keep high amphiphobic effect. WPU method is considered as a reliable and facile solution to amphiphobic fabric, showing great promise for industrial-scale respect in self-cleaning textiles.