Textile with Durable Janus Wetting Properties Produced by Plasma Polymerization

Abstract

The development of coating methods that enable us to combine antagonist properties on a single material is a real challenge. This active research topic can impact, for instance, the textile field to engineer fabrics with liquid-repellent properties on one side and superhydrophilic properties on the opposite side. In this context, we have developed an easy surface functionalization process that provides durable Janus wetting properties to fabrics. On the basis of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), we report a simple and reproducible three-step functionalization method that led to a coating with superhydrophobic and superoleophobic properties on one side of the porous substrate and superhydrophilic properties on the opposite side. A thin, fluorinated polymer film was deposited on one side, while the other side was functionalized with a polymer coating made of maleic anhydride, subsequently hydrolyzed to provide carboxylic acid groups to the surface. Static contact angles up to 169° with water and 162° with hexadecane were obtained on the fluorinated side of the fabric thanks to an appropriate combination of surface chemistry with dual-scale surface roughness. In addition, roll-off angles of 6 and 14° with water and hexadecane, respectively, were measured on this side of the sample. As for the opposite side, the hydrolyzed plasma polymer made of maleic anhydride enables us to obtain a surface that fully absorbs water and hexadecane. In addition, these tremendous properties were durable because no significant change was observed after aging and washing cycles. This simple surface functionalization process based on plasma polymerization is an innovative solution for the fabrication of textile with durable waterproof and breathable properties. Besides, the described concept can be adapted to numerous other applications that require Janus properties to porous substrates.

Fabricating durable, fluoride‐free, water repellency cotton fabrics with CPDMS

“…Obviously, the WCA values of the treated fabrics decreased gradually with increasing laundry times. However, the decrease was not very significant, different from the PDMS treated ones . After washed for five times, the WCA values of the cotton fabric dropped to around 139° and became stabilized at the optimized pH of 5.…”

“…For example, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) has been widely investigated to treat cotton fabrics with desirable water repellent property, though a setback that PDMS treated fabrics offered was that they could not provide durable washing fastness due to the covalent bond of COSi between cotton and PDMS, which could be easily hydrolyzed during washing . Alternatively, many processes have been developed to fabricate durable hydrophobic cotton fabric by creating robust ether bond (COC) between water‐resistant agents and cellulose, including plasma treatment, chemical etching, and others . However, all these approaches required the use of toxic agents, complicated reaction conditions, and advanced equipment, which could seriously hinder the practical applications of environmental friendly water repellent cotton fabrics …”

“…Alternatively, many processes have been developed to fabricate durable hydrophobic cotton fabric by creating robust ether bond (COC) between water‐resistant agents and cellulose, including plasma treatment, chemical etching, and others . However, all these approaches required the use of toxic agents, complicated reaction conditions, and advanced equipment, which could seriously hinder the practical applications of environmental friendly water repellent cotton fabrics …”

“…[14][15][16][17] Alternatively, many processes have been developed to fabricate durable hydrophobic cotton fabric by creating robust ether bond (CAOAC) between water-resistant agents and cellulose, including plasma treatment, chemical etching, and others. [18][19][20][21][22] However, all these approaches required the use of toxic agents, complicated reaction conditions, and advanced equipment, which could seriously hinder the practical applications of environmental friendly water repellent cotton fabrics. [18][19][20][21][22] In this work, we present a single-step method for fabricating water repellent cotton fabric with robust water resistance and durability by using a long-chain siloxane, poly{dimethylsiloxaneco-[2-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)ethyl]methylsiloxane} (CPDMS).…”

Poly(allylamine) plasma polymer coatings for an efficient retention of Ni(II) ions by ultrafiltration membranes

“…Allylamine (98%, Sigma–Aldrich) was introduced in a stoppered glass gas delivery tube and degassed by performing three freeze–pump–thaw cycles. Poly(allylamine) thin films were deposited on silicon wafers, silicon wafers coated with a thin film of PES or on PES membranes by using an home‐built radio frequency plasma reactor as described elsewhere . The inlet of the reactor chamber was connected to the allylamine gas delivery tube and the outlet of the reactor to a two‐stage rotary pump.…”