Facile Preparation of Superhydrophobic Cotton Fabric Using Silicone Oil and Inorganic Nanoparticles

Superhydrophobic textiles have attracted great interest due to their special functions and wide applications. However, it is still a huge challenge to construct a durable superhydrophobic coating for large-scale applications due to the complicated process and high cost. In this work, a facile two-step method was developed to construct superhydrophobic cotton fabric with fluorine-free treatment. The cotton fabrics were treated with modified nano SiO 2 to construct rough surfaces. Then, the silicone oil was introduced into the surface of the cotton fabric to form superhydrophobic cotton fabric. The results showed that the modified nano SiO 2 and silicone oil were stably fixed on the fiber surface. The static water contact angle test showed that contact angle of the modified cotton fabric was 158°, indicating excellent superhydrophobic properties. Furthermore, the self-cleaning and anti-pollution test results showed that the superhydrophobic cotton fabric possessed good self-cleaning and antifouling performance. This superhydrophobic fabric avoids the use of fluoropolymers and reduces the harm to humans and environment, showing a wide range of applications.