Fabrication of perm-inspired Janus polyester fabric via unilateral surface engineering for unidirectional water transport and antibacterial properties

Janus fabrics with moisture management abilities have garnered significant attention for enhancing human physiological and thermal comfort. However, excessive sweating can lead to fabric flooding and diminished wicking capabilities once capillary channels within are saturated, thereby reducing wearer comfort and encouraging bacterial growth. Inspired by the oxidation and reduction behaviors of disulfide bonds in the perm process, we creatively anchor sericin and protamine onto to a single surface of hydrophobic polyester (PET) fabrics using a mist technique, enabling efficient water transport and antibacterial properties. Through fabrication process, sericin is covalently linked to the fabric, resulting in a wetting gradient ranging from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. Consequently, the Janus PET fabric (HAJP) attains diode-like unidirectional water transport properties, exhibiting remarkable unidirectional transport capability (with an R-value of 1080 %). Furthermore, protamine electrostatically adsorbed endows HAJP fabric with excellent antibacterial properties, effectively inhibiting growth of both Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) by 100 %. Even after 50 wash cycles and 600 rubbing cycles, the residual germicidal effect remains over 94 %. Additionally, benefiting from unidirectional water transport and rapid surface evaporation, HAJP fabric can lower human body temperature by 3–4 °C compared to conventional textiles like original PET and cotton fabric, implying potential utility in hot weather conditions. This work provides new insights and a promising research direction for the manufacture of advanced moisture management textiles with high antibacterial performance.