Polyelectrolyte-Assisted Immobilization of Oil-Based Nanocapsules on Cotton Fabric

Poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride)-encapsulated n-octadecane nanocapsules (PDDA-Oc-cap) were easily immobilized on cationized cotton at ambient temperature using poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid) (PSS) as a binder. The cationized cotton was first treated with 1–50 mM of PSS and then soaked in the PDDA-Oc-cap emulsion in order to obtain stepwise PSS/PDDA-Oc-cap coating layers on the cationized cotton (Cat-cot/PSS/PDDA-Oc-cap). The negative molecules of PSS binder spontaneously attached to the cationized cotton and then acted as negative sites for further immobilization of positively charged PDDA-Oc-cap via electrostatic interaction. Uniform globular particles of PDDA-Oc-cap were observed on the surfaces of Cat-cot/PSS/PDDA-Oc-cap samples in the field-emission scanning electron microscopy images. The positive zeta potential was obtained in the Cat-cot/PSS/PDDA-Oc-cap samples due to the deposition of the positively charged PDDA-Oc-cap on cotton fabric. In addition, the Cat-cot/PSS/PDDA-Oc-cap samples preferentially adsorbed anionic dye eosin B over cationic dye methylene blue. Higher PSS concentrations used in the treatment resulted in higher quantities of PDDA-Oc-cap immobilized on the fabrics, resulting in the concomitant increase of eosin B adsorption. These results suggested that the PSS-assisted immobilization was an efficient alternative method for textile finishing.