Fabrication of durable fluorescent and hydrophobic cotton fabrics by multiple surface modifications

The functionalization of cotton fabrics with fluorescent and hydrophobic performances are widely used in our daily life. However, most technologies to produce such cotton fabrics involved the defect of poor uniformity and stability. Herein, novel hydrophobic and fluorescent cotton fabrics were developed via a multiple chemical modification. Acetoacetyl groups were firstly introduced on the surface of cotton fibers by transesterification. The 1,4-dihydropyridine (DHP) fluorescent ring and octadecylamine (ODA) were then bonded to the modified fibers through Hantzsch reaction and the form of dynamic enamine bond, respectively. The functional modification process can be accomplished through a one-pot method under room temperature. The resulting modified fabrics exhibited bright fluorescent and good hydrophobic performances, which were very stable to solvents and washing. In addition, the surface modification has no obvious effect on the mechanical performance, whiteness, and thermal stability of cotton fabrics. Such a unique fluorescent and hydrophobic cotton fabrics held great potential for many fields such as anti-counterfeit and functional textiles.