A facile approach for the fabrication of highly stable superhydrophobic cotton fabric with multi-walled carbon nanotubes-azide polymer composites.
Homogeneous dispersion and functionalization of pristine multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) in various organic solvents was achieved by a simple ultrasonic process in the presence of an azide copolymer, poly(4-azidophenyl methacrylate-co-methyl acrylate)(P(APM-co-MA)). The copolymes were noncovalently attached to the surface of the MWNTs via pi-pi interactions to form MWNT-P(APM-co-MA) composites. The composites were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, Raman spectra and UV-vis spectra. The solution dispersion of the MWNT-P(APM-co-MA) composites were used to prepare superhydrophobic cotton fabric by a facile dip-coating approach. MWNTs were covalently attached to the surface of the cotton fabric through the chemical reactions between the azide groups of P(APM-co-MA) with both MWNTs and cotton fibers. The reactions are based on UV-activated nitrene chemistry. Owing to the nanoscale roughness introduced by the attachment of MWNTs, the cotton fabric surface was transformed from hydrophilic to superhydrophobic with an apparent water contact angle of 154 degrees . Since MWNTs were covalently attached on the surface of the cotton fabric, the superhydrophobicity possesses high stability and chemical durability.
CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, People's Republic of China.
Guang
G
Li
Hu
H
Wang
Haiting
H
Zheng
Ruke
R
Bai
D001386:Azides / Q000737:chemistry*; D032561:Cotton Fiber; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008689:Methacrylates / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
D001386:Azides; D008689:Methacrylates; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D011108:Polymers; C551340:poly(4-azidophenyl methacrylate-co-methyl acrylate)