Durable self-cleaning superhydrophobic cotton fabrics for wearable textiles

Cotton fabric is widely used in various industrial goods due to its ability to enhance aesthetic appeal, but preserving its shine and genuine appearance presents a significant challenge. In this work, a durable self-cleaning superhydrophobic surface suitable for wearable textiles was achieved on cotton fabrics by applying a composite coating of stearic acid-modified titanium oxide (TiO2) nanoparticles and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) through a simple dip/spray coating technique. The fabric surface displayed an exceptional water contact angle (WCA) of 165 +/- 2(degrees) and a minimal slide angle (SA) of approximately 2(degrees), demonstrating outstanding water repellency and sliding characteristics. The surface exhibited impressive self-cleaning abilities for both dust particles and muddy water. The coated cloth maintained its exceptional superhydrophobic properties even after being subjected to 40 abrasion cycles, 30 adhesive tape peels, nearly 60 min of ultrasound treatment, and 30 washing cycles. Additionally, the as-coated cotton showed excellent chemical stability, tensile strength, flexibility, air permeability and breathability. The model trials with a baby doll have proven the high possibility of commercializing self-cleaning clothing in this research.