A facile, catalyst-free reactive polydimethylsiloxane coating toward multifunctional cotton textiles with...

The fabrication of superhydrophobic textiles integrating robust durability and customizable functionality is essential to minimize chemical resource use and advance sustainable applications of smart fabrics. This work reports a green and catalyst-free strategy to fabricating a robust and chemically reactive superhydrophobic coating on cotton fabric. The coating was formed via a one-pot 1,4-conjugate addition between dipentaerythritol pentaacrylate (5Acl) and aminopropyl terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS_NH2). This process generates intrinsic micro-nano roughness and leverages the low surface energy of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), endowing the fabric with exceptional superhydrophobicity (water contact angle = 155.1^o ± 0.7^o, sliding angle around 9^o), remarkable mechanical/chemical durability, and thermally activated self-healing properties, enabling effective self-cleaning and oil-water separation. Crucially, the coating retains abundant unreacted acrylate groups, providing a versatile platform for covalent post-modification. To demonstrate this capability, ethanolamine (ETA) was region-selectively grafted to create a well-defined hydrophilic/hydrophobic pattern, achieving directional water transport. Furthermore, an ionic liquid (1-(12-mercaptododecyl)-3-methylimidazolium bromide, IL) was immobilized via thiol-ene click chemistry, conferring durable antibacterial activity and enhanced biocompatibility. This study establishes an eco-friendly, durable, and highly tailorable material platform for design next-generation sustainable and multifunctional textiles.