Multi-functional super-liquid-repellent fabric coating with chemical/physical robustness by one-step disperse dyeing process

Abstract

Superhydrophobic fabrics with multifunctions have enormous application potential in our daily lives, but still suffer from issues of poor durability, tedious coating process, and toxicity due to additional chemical treatments. In this study, we present an efficient and clean strategy for the preparation of robust, colorful and non-fluorinated superhydrophobic fabric coating with both antibacterial and antistatic properties via a facile one-step disperse dyeing process. The composite coating contains silicone-modified waterborne polyurethane (WPU) resin, hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS), graphene oxide (GO), and disperse dyes. The disperse dyeing process under high temperature/steam pressure can not only realize fabric dyeing, form a firmly-bonded coating on the fabric surface, but also facilitate the in-situ reduction of GO (rGO). The rGO/HDTMS/WPU/dye coated fabrics exhibit colors with excellent color fastness and superhydrophobicity with impressively high stability against washing, abrasion, acid and alkali attacks, high temperature and extremely low temperature (i.e., liquid nitrogen) treatments. Moreover, the multifunctional coating demonstrates self-healing capability from chemical damages. The rGO in the coating matrix renders fabrics with antistatic and antibacterial ability against Staphylococcus aureus (antibacterial rate of over 98 %). This one-step multifunctional coating strategy is highly desirable for facile fabrication of fabric coatings by showing virtues of energy saving, emission reduction, carbon footprint reduction and environmental protection.