Ag NPs deposited TiO2 coating material for superhydrophobic, antimicrobial and self-cleaning surface fabrication on fabric

In this study, a superhydrophobic titanium dioxide (TiO2)-poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) coating was fabricated on fabrics via a simple dipping method with the versatile properties. Due to the combination of rough structure constructed by Ag NPs and the low-surface-energy of PDMS, the coated fabric exhibited superhydrophobicity. X-ray diffraction analysis verified the crystalline structure of rutile TiO2 and Ag NPs, which is suitable for the photocatalytic studies. According to the field emission scanning electron microscopy studies, surface roughness increased by improving the surface hydrophobicity upon Ag NPs deposition. The water contact angle (WCA) values were sequentially increased by incorporating TiO2, PDMS and Ag NPs into the coating composite, and the WCA value was estimated as 153° with a sliding angle of 15° for the superhydrophobic coating. Ag NPs demonstrated antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The photocatalyst activity of TiO2 was reinforced by the formation of the Schottky barrier at the Ag NPs-TiO2 interface after the Ag NPs deposition, and TiO2 led to the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue in solution. Furthermore, the modified textile was used to selectively separate oil–water mixtures. Thus, the coated fabric has great potential for applications in dye removal, oil separation, antibacterial and superhydrophobic coatings. Also, the coating material can be applied to other surfaces for the construction of superhydrophobic multifunctional surfaces in a low-cost way.