Superhydrophobic and conductive properties of carbon nanotubes/polybenzoxazine nanocomposites coated ramie fabric prepared by solution-immersion process

Nanocomposites coating consisting of pristine multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and polybenzoxazine has been constructed onto ramie fabric through solution-immersion process. The adsorbed nanocomposites coating is a hierarchical three-dimensional interpenetrating network structure, and the surface coverage and density increase substantially with increasing repeated immersing cycles. Measurements of the superhydrophobicity and conductivity for the coated ramie fabrics show that the highest water contact angle reaches 152 degrees, the lowest water sliding angle reaches 3 degrees, and the corresponding sheet resistance is 3410 Omega sq(-1), which shows strong dependency on the number of repeated immersing cycles and concentration of MWNTs suspension. This work provides a facile pathway to design and fabricate nanocomposites coated natural cellulosic fabric for superhydrophobic and conductive applications. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.