Two-Step Fabrication of Durable, Flexible, and Fluorine-Free Superhydrophobic SiO2-Silane@Fabric for Self-Cleaning Application

In this present research, a superhydrophobic cotton fabric exhibiting a water contact angle of 155.2 degrees has been prepared via dip-coating technique involving silica nanoparticle deposition followed by silane hydrophobization. Interestingly, the mirror-like phenomenon was also observed at the interface between was and modified cotton fabric. The surface morphology and microstructure of the modified fabrics were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was performed for functional group detection on a modified cotton surface. For practical applications, the washing durability was characterized by measuring contact angle values before and after washing cycles. Besides this, the durability of the superhydrophobic cotton fabric was measured under different harsh environmental conditions such as highly acidic, neutral, and highly basic environment. After each measurement, water contact angles and sliding angles were measured for dynamic stabilities. Again the modified coated cotton fabric showed strong resistance to the various organic solvents. Along with the above studies, the physical and mechanical durability of the coated fabric was also measured for both industrial and household importance.