Preparation of robust and self-healing superamphiphobic cotton fabrics based on modified silica aerogel particles

Robust superamphiphobic cotton fabrics with antifouling and self-healing performance were prepared via a simple spraying method. With the composite coating of 1 H, 1 H, 2 H, 2 H- perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane (FAS), FAS modified silica aerogel (F-SiO2), and polyvinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP), the obtained cotton fabrics showed excellent superamphiphobic properties with a water contact angle (WCA) greater than 170°, and oil contact angle (OCA) of about 158°. The chemical composition, surface morphology and thermal degradation behavior of the products were evaluated. The treated superamphiphobic cotton fabrics displayed excellent robustness against 1600 rubbing cycles, laundering durability and satisfactory chemical stability. Furthermore, the fabricated superamphiphobic coating also exhibited self-healing ability against plasma etching. The work confirmed that cotton fabrics can obtain superamphiphobic property by adjusting the concentration of the F-SiO2 and PVDF-HFP. The facile approach in favor of large-scale preparation showed promising potential for the wide application of flexible superamphiphobic cotton textiles with excellent durability and self-healing performance.