Construction of Wash-Resistant Photonic Crystal-Coated Fabrics based on Hydrogen Bonds and a Dynamically Cross-Linking Double-Network Structure

Structural coloration as the most possible way to realize the ecofriendly dying process for textiles or fabrics has attracted significant attention in the past decades. However, photonic crystals (PCs) are a typical example of materials with structural color usually located on the surface of the fabrics or textiles, which make them not stable when rubbed, bent, or washed due to the weak interaction between the PC coatings and fabrics. Here, double networks were constructed between the PC coatings and the fabrics for the first time via a hydrogen bond by introducing tannic acid (TA) and dynamic cross-linking with 2-formylphenylboronic acid to increase the wash resistance of the structural colored fabrics. On modifying the monodispersed SiO₂ nanoparticles, poly(dimethylsiloxane), and the fabrics, the interaction between the PC coatings and the fabrics increased by the formation of double networks. The structural color, wash, and rub resistance of the PC-coated fabrics were systematically studied. The obtained fabrics with the TA content at 0.030% (SiDT30) showed the best wash and rub resistance. The construction of double networks not only improved the wash and rub resistance of PCs but also retained the bright structural color of the PC coatings, facilitating the practical application of structural coloration in the textile industry.