Development of Breathable, Flame-Retardant, Antifouling Fabrics with High-Efficiency Chemical Warfare Agent Decontamination

To address the chemical protection requirements in modern complex environments, developing efficient self-decontaminating chemical protective fabrics with comfort, breathability, and multiprotective functionalities holds great significance for national defense security. In this study, a Zr–O bond-mediated in situ growth strategy was proposed to precisely regulate the crystallization of UiO-66-NH2 on polyimide (PI) nanofibers. A Z/PI@UiO-66-NH2 nanofiber composite with a stable chemical structure was fabricated, exhibiting a 98.57% degradation rate for 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES) as well as excellent reusability. The uniform and robust loading of UiO-66-NH2 on the surface of PI nanofibers (loading rate: 52.28%) increased the surface roughness while preserving the original porosity of the fiber membrane, endowing the Z/PI@UiO-66-NH2 nanofiber composite membrane with a water contact angle of 152.8°. This indicates outstanding superhydrophobic and antifouling properties, coupled with a high water vapor permeability of 4897 m–2·d–1. Meanwhile, the extensively loaded MOF crystals imparted excellent flame-retardant performance to the composite, with a limiting oxygen index (LOI) reaching 29.30. Furthermore, the composite maintained a CEES degradation rate of >97% after exposure to acids, alkalis, high temperatures, and oil contamination, demonstrating robust environmental stability. The Z/PI@UiO-66-NH2 nanofiber composite developed in this study provides an approach for the design of self-disinfecting chemical protective fabrics integrating efficient degradation, flame retardancy, and antifouling capabilities.