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SUMMARYA novel halogen-free and formaldehyde-free flame retardant (FR), which contains phosphorus, nitrogen, and silicon, was synthesized for cotton fabrics considering the synergistic effect of phosphorus, nitrogen, and silicon. The structure of the new FR was characterized by Fourier-trans-form infrared spectroscopy, and the surface morphology of the treated fibre was observed using scanning electron microscope. The thermal property of the FR treated cotton fabric was studied through thermal gravimetric analysis. The TG results indicate that the FR can protect cotton fabric from fire to a certain degree. The vertical flammability test and limiting oxygen index results further indicate that the FR has excellent FR properties. Finally, the durability and other performance properties of the treated fabric were studied and the results show that the new materials can be used as a semi-durable FR for cellulosic fibres.

In this study, a functional textile-based material for topical skin application was fabricated by coating a thermoresponsive hydrogel onto one side of absorbent nonwoven fabric. The thermoresponsive hydrogel was synthesized easily through coupling of poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) and poly (ϵ-caprolactone) (PCL) with hexamethylene diisocyanate (HMDI) as a chemical linker. The chemical structure of the as-prepared triblock copolymer hydrogel was unraveled by FTIR and 1H NMR analysis. The hydrogel showed a temperature-triggered sol-gel transition behavior and high potential for use as drug controlled release. When the surrounding temperature was close to the skin temperature of around 34 °C, it became a moisture management system where the liquids including sweat, blood, and other body fluids can be transported unidirectionally from one fabric side with the hydrophobic hydrogel coating to the untreated opposite side. This thereby showed that the thermoresponsive hydrogel-coated textile materials had a function to keep topical skin area clean, breathable, and comfortable, thus suggesting a great potential and significance for long-term skin treatment application. The structure and surface morphology of the thermoresponsive hydrogel, in vitro drug release behavior, and the mechanism of unidirectional water transport were investigated in detail. Our success in preparation of the functional textile composites will pave the way for development of various polymer- or textile-based functional materials that are applicable in the real world.

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Robust hairy microspheres were conveniently synthesized through an "inside-out" protrusion approach consisting of a sol-gel reaction and a radical polymerization, from conventional organosilanes and vinyl monomers. Their hierarchical structures of hard cores and plastic hairs can be adjusted in terms of their sizes and compositions to impart various chemical and physical properties on their surfaces. These hairy microspheres can also be built into hairy surfaces with many useful functions, such as superhydrophobicity. This work opens up a new route for the synthesis of hierarchical particles and enriches the tool library of material and surface engineering.