Environmentally friendly waterborne polyurethane nanofibrous membranes by emulsion electrospinning for waterproof and breathable textiles

There is a growing demand worldwide on smart nanofibrous membranes with waterproof and breathable performances owing to their wide potential in medical hygiene, wearable electronics, and outdoor clothing. Design of such high-performance materials based on environmentally friendly solvents is crucial but highly challenging. Here, we report a facile and powerful strategy to create environmentally friendly waterborne polyurethane nanofibrous membranes with high waterproofness and breathability using water-based emulsion electrospinning technique combined with heating treatment. The hydrophobic channels of waterborne polyurethane nanofibrous membranes with small pore size and high porosity are constructed using emulsion electrospinning technique by in-situ doping of water-based fluoropolymer and aziridine crosslinker combined with heating treatment. The resultant environmentally friendly nanofibrous membranes exhibit good hydrostatic pressure of 74.3 kPa, impressive air permeability of 9.3 mm s−1, outstanding water vapor transmission rate of 12.8 kg m−2 d−1, and high elasticity of 67.4%, thus providing the high-level personal protection and comfortable microclimate in harsh environments. The successful construction of such intriguing nanofibrous membranes could serve as a source of inspiration for the green synthesis of other fibrous materials for a variety of applications.