Superhydrophobic and ultraviolet-blocking cotton textiles.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Textile Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Cotton textiles lack inherent superhydrophobic and effective ultraviolet (UV)-blocking properties.
• Developing functional textiles with enhanced durability and protective features is crucial for various applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To impart superhydrophobic and UV-blocking properties to cotton textiles.
• To investigate the durability of these properties under UV irradiation.

Main Methods:

• Coating cotton fibers with zinc oxide (ZnO)@silicon dioxide (SiO(2)) nanorods using a multi-step process.
• Including low-temperature ZnO seed preparation, hydrothermal ZnO nanorod growth, SiO(2) shell deposition, and hydrophobic modification with octadecyltrimethoxysilane.
• Ensuring dense and uniform coating on curved cotton fibers.

Main Results:

• Achieved a high UV protection factor (UPF = 101.51) for the treated cotton textile.
• Demonstrated UV-durable superhydrophobicity, confirmed by contact-angle measurements under prolonged UV exposure.
• Observed dense and uniform coating of ZnO@SiO(2) nanorods on cotton fibers.

Conclusions:

• The ZnO@SiO(2) nanorod coating effectively provides cotton textiles with excellent UV-blocking and durable superhydrophobic properties.
• The SiO(2) shell plays a key role in suppressing the photoactivity of ZnO, ensuring UV-durable superhydrophobicity.
• The developed method offers a promising approach for creating high-performance functional textiles.