Superhydrophobic and oleophobic textiles with hierarchical micro-nano structure constructed by sol–gel method

In this study, hierarchical micro-nano structures were constructed on cotton surface followed by low surface tension agent treatment to obtain superhydrophobic and oleophobic textile materials. The static contact angle of water, ethylene glycol, olive oil, and dodecane on treated fabric was 154 ± 3°, 145 ± 3°, 141 ± 3°, and 128 ± 1°, respectively. Hierarchical particles were prepared by chemical bonding of nanosilica onto microsilica through the reaction of epoxy group of (3-glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane and amino group of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane. The chemical groups were characterized by FTIR. The surface morphology and surface roughness were characterized by SEM and AFM, and the primary silica particles’ size was obtained based on TEM images. The constructed micro-nano structure was demonstrated robust enough that even can maintain a good superhydrophobic and oleophobic performance after the crocking test and 50 times standard home laundering. Moreover, the tensile strength and whiteness performance of fabric still remained quite good after the treatment. This study provides a useful method to construct a robust micro-nano structure on fabric, which is meaningful for producing durable superhydrophobic and oleophobic textiles.