Lasting superhydrophobicity and antibacterial activity of Cu nanoparticles immobilized on the surface of dopamine modified cotton fabrics

Abstract A simple two-step impregnation method was used to prepare copper nanoparticles coated cotton fabric. In which, dopamine firstly self-polymerized to polydopamine membrane on the cotton fabric surface, then copper nanoparticles were obtained and bound onto the cotton fabric using polydopamine as a reductant and binder. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES) were used to observe the surface morphology and analyze the elemental composition as well as their surface chemical states of all samples. The results confirmed the formation of polydopamine film and copper nanoparticles. The results of contact angle measurements and antibacterial tests showed that the modified cotton fabrics had durable sticky superhydrophobicity and considerable antibacterial activity.