Multifunctional cotton fabric with durable antibacterial, superhydrophobicity, and UV resistance based on Ag@TiO2 Janus nanoparticles

The problem of functional integration is a significant challenge for the preparation of multifunctional cotton fabrics. Herein, silver@titanium dioxide (Ag@TiO₂) Janus nanoparticles were synthesized by Pickering emulsion polymerization, and then the Janus nanoparticles were finished on the epoxy modified cotton fabric to obtain a multifunctional cotton fabric. The Ag@TiO₂ Janus nanoparticles possessed an asymmetric structure. The one side of the Janus nanoparticles was the silane with hydrophilic amino group, which was covalently bonded with the epoxy group on the cotton fabric fibers. The other side was silane with hydrophobic long-chain alkane, which was faced the environment. The structure endowed the cotton fabric with durably superhydrophobic, UV resistance, and antibacterial. The multifunctional cotton fabric had a water contact angle of 160°, and the contact angle could still reach 152° at the damaged part of the multifunctional cotton fabric after 50 abrasion cycles, indicating the superhydrophobic of the multifunctional cotton fabric. The antibacterial rate of the multifunctional cotton fabric against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Streptococcus Urealyticus (S. aureus) were more than 95%, and the antibacterial rate of the multifunctional cotton fabric still maintained more than 70%, after 10 cycles of laundering treatment, exhibiting the antibacterial property of the multifunctional cotton fabric. The Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) value of the multifunctional cotton fabric was 34.3, which indicated the multifunctional cotton fabric had excellent ultraviolet resistance. This study provided a new method for multi-functional finishing of fabrics, allowing new functions to be given without damage.