A novel colored chitosan-modified polystyrene composite dye nanospheres with enhanced coloring properties for binder-free printing

The limited utilization rate of dyes for coloring coupled with the consumption of large quantities of chemical reagents, can result in acute environmental pollution and waste of resources. Herein, in accordance with the electrostatic attraction between electropositivity of chitosan and anionic dyes, a novel type of chitosan-modified cationic polystyrene nanospheres (PSCS) was creatively synthesized, which can be innovatively employed as a special carrier with an adsorption capacity of up to 197.4mg/g for acid dyes. Consequently, a exclusive pigment identified as colored chitosan-modified polystyrene composite dye nanospheres (PSCS(AR9)) was procured. Simultaneously, the binder-free printing was accomplished by leveraging the intrinsic self-curing property of PSCS(AR9) for screen printing of textiles. Additionally, printed fabrics with PSCS(AR9) exhibited superb darkening effect (the K/S value can be increased by 2 times.) in conjunction with significantly improved hand feel in contrast with the conventional printed fabrics. The last but not least, the rubbing fastness of the printed fabrics using PSCS(AR9) can meet demand of the practical application. Therefore, this work may provide an innovative insight for constructing a new type of environmentally friendly and depth-enhanced printed textile.