Textile with Durable Janus Wetting Properties Produced by Plasma Polymerization

The development of coating methods that enable us to combine antagonist properties on a single material is a real challenge. This active research topic can impact, for instance, the textile field to engineer fabrics with liquid-repellent properties on one side and superhydrophilic properties on the opposite side. In this context, we have developed an easy surface functionalization process that provides durable Janus wetting properties to fabrics. On the basis of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), we report a simple and reproducible three-step functionalization method that led to a coating with superhydrophobic and superoleophobic properties on one side of the porous substrate and super hydrophilic properties on the opposite side. A thin, fluorinated polymer film was deposited on one side, while the other side was functionalized with a polymer coating made of maleic anhydride, subsequently hydrolyzed to provide carboxylic acid groups to the surface. Static contact angles up to 169 with water and 162 with hexadecane were obtained on the fluorinated side of the fabric thanks to an appropriate combination of surface chemistry with dual-scale surface roughness. In addition, roll-off angles of 6 and 14 with water and hexadecane, respectively, were measured on this side of the sample. As for the opposite side, the hydrolyzed plasma polymer made of maleic anhydride enables us to obtain a surface that fully absorbs water and hexadecane. In addition, these tremendous properties were durable because no significant change was observed after aging and washing cycles. This simple surface functionalization process based on plasma polymerization is an innovative solution for the fabrication of textile with durable waterproof and breathable properties. Besides, the described concept can be adapted to numerous other applications that require Janus properties to porous substrates.