Fabrication of superhydrophobic cotton fabric based on reaction of thiol-ene click chemistry

In this study, we report a simple method for preparing superhydrophobic cotton fabrics via the thiol-ene click reaction. We modified the cotton fabric using vinyl trimethoxysilane (VTMS), which adds more reactive vinyl groups to it. The thiol-ene click chemistry reaction under UV irradiation showed that the functionalised fabric exhibited excellent superhydrophobicity, with a water contact angle of 156.5 degrees and sliding angle of 8 degrees. The morphology and constitution of the superhydrophobic cotton fabric were characterised using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results show that coating the surface of the cotton fabric with polymer films increased its surface roughness and lowered its surface energy. The treated fabric can be used for the separation of oil-water mixtures owing to its superhydrophobicity. Moreover, different tests showed that it retained its high hydrophobicity even under harsh conditions. Superhydrophobic cotton fabrics have potential applications in oil-water separation, and its simple preparation method gives it broad application prospects.