Facile fabrication of durable superamphiphobic PET fabrics

Chemists report on a simple and flexible approach to produce multifunctional superamphiphobic PET textiles.

Superamphiphobic coatings/materials are important for a wide variety of applications, but the majority of these coatings/materials still suffer from poor durability. Therefore, multifunctional superamphiphobic coatings/materials with strong mechanical and chemical stability are highly desired.

In a new study, a simple and flexible approach to produce multifunctional superamphiphobic poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) textiles was reported. First, dual micro/nanostructures on the PET fabric surface are constructed by hydrolysis of trimethoxymethylsilane, N-octyltriethoxysilane, and trimethylchlorosilane, and further modified by 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane and poly(vinylidene fluoride).

High liquid repellency
The as-obtained superamphiphobic PET fabrics show high liquid repellency to water, oil, organic liquids, and strong acid or alkali solutions, exhibiting a water contact angle (WCA) of 161° and an oil contact angle (OCA) of 156°. Meanwhile, the superamphiphobic PET fabrics show strong abrasion resistance; even after 180-cm consistent abrasion, the WCA still maintains 148° and the OCA maintains 140°. Importantly, the fabrics maintain their excellent superamphiphobic property after long-term UV irradiation or ultrasonic treatment, respectively.