Self-Cleaning and Antifouling Properties of Silica/Octadecylamine-Coated Cotton Fabrics

Due to the multifaceted application potential, hydrophobically modified cotton fabrics have gathered a lot of attention in recent years. This study developed a self-cleaning and antibacterial cotton fabric that combines self-cleaning and antifouling properties. Dopamine was oxidized and self-polymerized on the surface of cotton fabric, and the polydopamine layer has adhesion properties and reactive activity. Therefore, it can adhere to hydrophobic silica microspheres while reacting with octadecylamine. As a consequence of the modification of the cotton fabric, excellent hydrophobicity (with a contact angle of 145°) as well as excellent stability in acid and alkali solutions and washing stability were developed. There is not much loss in the mechanical properties of the modified cotton fabric, and the higher contact angle gives the cotton fabric self-cleaning properties while resisting bacterial adhesion, with the bacteria adhesion number reduced by 50% and 90% for E. coli and S. aureus, respectively.