Simple approach towards fabrication of highly durable and robust superhydrophobic cotton fabric from functional diblock copolymer

Hailiang Zou; Shudong Lin; Yuanyuan Tu; Guojun Liu; Jiwen Hu; Fei Li; Lei Miao; Ganwei Zhang; Hongsheng Luo; Feng Liu; Chengmin Hou; Meilong Hu

doi:10.1039/C3TA12224G

Simple approach towards fabrication of highly durable and robust superhydrophobic cotton fabric from functional diblock copolymer†

Hailiang Zou,^abc Shudong Lin,^ab Yuanyuan Tu,^ab Guojun Liu,^ad Jiwen Hu,*^abc Fei Li,^ab Lei Miao,^ab Ganwei Zhang,^ab Hongsheng Luo,^ab Feng Liu,^ab Chengmin Hou^ab and Meilong Hu^ab

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a Guangzhou Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, P.R. China
E-mail: hjw@gic.ac.cn
Fax: +86-20-85232307

^b Key Laboratory of Cellulose Lignocellulosics Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. R .China

^c The University of the Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, P.R. China

^d Department of Chemistry, Queen's University, 90 Bader Lane, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6

Abstract

We report here a simple and reproducible strategy for fabricating highly durable and robust superhydrophobic cotton fabrics (SCFs) from a series of functional diblock copolymers. These diblock copolymers consisted of both poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) and poly(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl methacrylate) (PTFEMA) blocks that were synthesized via sequential atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). While the PTFEMA block provides the low surface free energy, the PGMA block serves as an anchor and forms covalent bonds with the surfaces of cotton fibers. These covalent bonds are formed via the epoxy ring-opening reaction between the epoxy groups of the PGMA block and the hydroxyl groups on the surface of the cotton fiber, and self-crosslinking of epoxy groups from PGMA chains. Structures exhibiting nano- and microscale roughness were created in one-step by combining copolymer-based nanobumps onto surfaces of micro-sized fibers of the cotton fabric, as confirmed by SEM and AFM analysis. The modified cotton fabrics show excellent water repellency with water contact angles (WCAs) of ∼163° and water sliding angles (WSAs) of ∼3° under optimized conditions. Since the low-fluorinated PTFEMA chains are chemically bound to the cotton fibers, the SCFs possess long-term stability, ultra-high durability and robustness. In particular, these SCFs withstood mechanical abrasion by sandpaper, strong laundering conditions, ultrasonication treatment in tetrahydrofuran (THF) or trifluorotoluene (TFT), soaking in a wide range of organic solvents, as well as acidic and basic aqueous solutions, exposure to UV-irradiation and even refluxing in TFT or THF.

Journal of Materials Chemistry A

Simple approach towards fabrication of highly durable and robust superhydrophobic cotton fabric from functional diblock copolymer†

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Simple approach towards fabrication of highly durable and robust superhydrophobic cotton fabric from functional diblock copolymer

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