Universal fabrication of superhydrophobic and UV resistant cotton fabric with polyphenols

Superhydrophobic textiles are important superhydrophobic materials because of their low cost and high demand. In this work, low surface energy substance, dodecyltrimethoxysilane (DTM), was used to modify the hydrolyzed tetrabutyl titanate (Ti(OH)4) to obtain DTM@Ti(OH)4 particles and realize the surface organic modification of Ti(OH)4 particles. Then, functional cotton fabric was prepared by loading DTM@Ti(OH)4 particles onto the fabric based on the adhesion of natural polyphenols. The static contact angle of finished cotton fabric was up to 169.9°, the rolling contact angle was less than 8°, and the UPF value was generally greater than 70. Due to the excellent adhesion of polyphenols, the superhydrophobic cotton fabric showed great stability and durability under harsh environmental conditions. By various treatments, the water contact angles (CA) of the finished fabrics can still be greater than 155° and the UPF value was still greater than 50. The preparation process is simple, efficient and low-cost, which is suitable for large-scale industrial production. Encouragingly, this modification method is universal and can be applied to other kinds of fabrics. It has broad application prospects in outdoor textiles, oil and water separation, metal corrosion prevention and other fields.