In-situ grown of NiAl-LDHs for self-healing fabric with flame-retardant, UV-protection and antifouling performance

The use of toxic components, single function and poor durability greatly restricted the practical application of self-cleaning surfaces. To address these concerns, multifunctional superhydrophobic fabrics with self-healing were fabricated via in-situ growth of NiAl-layered double hydroxides (NiAl-LDHs) on the surface of the fabric and surface modification of stearic acid (SA). NiAl-LDHs crystals not only endow the laminar porous structure to increase the surface roughness, but also could capture air packets in water after modified by SA to achieve superhydrophobicity. The Fabric-LDH-SA exhibited excellent self-cleaning, which can avoid the adhesion of contaminants. Benefiting from the unique properties of NiAl-LDHs, the flame retardant and UV resistance of the Fabric-LDH-SA are greatly improved compared with pure fabrics. Importantly, the as-prepared Fabric-LDH-SA could maintain its superhydrophobicity when subjected to prolonged physical wear and tear such as long-time sandpaper grinding, ultrasonic washing. More importantly, the coating shows self-healing property regardless of the number of cycles after damage, which provides a promising strategy to tackle low durability.