Performance Enhancement of Self-Cleaning Cotton Fabric with ZnO NPs and Dicarboxylic Acids

Abstract

In this paper, we explore the self-cleaning and washing durability of green-prepared ZnO NPs combined with cotton fabrics. Honeysuckle extract was used to prepare ZnO NPs with an average particle size of 15.3 nm. Cotton fabrics were then treated with oxalic acid (OA), tartaric acid (TA), and succinic acid (SA) as cross-linking agents, sodium hypophosphite as a catalyst, and after that, the ZnO NPs were applied to the cross-linked cotton fabrics by the padding to prepare the self-cleaning cotton fabrics. The morphology and structure of the fabric samples were characterized using FTIR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and XRD. The optical properties of the cotton fabric samples were discussed by UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectrum, and the self-cleaning performance, wrinkle recovery angle and ultraviolet protection performance of the cotton fabric samples were analyzed. The results showed that the carboxyl groups of TA, OA, and SA were esterified with hydroxyl groups of the cotton fiber and formed a film on the surface of the cotton fabrics. ZnO NPs were successfully loaded onto the cotton fabrics by strong electrostatic interaction, causing the improvement of the washing resistance of the cross-linked fabrics. In addition, compared with uncross-linked fabrics, the wrinkle recovery performance of the cross-linked fabrics had also been greatly improved, and the UV protection factor reached 50+, thus obtaining an excellent self-cleaning, multifunctional cotton-based textile with anti-wrinkle and anti-ultraviolet properties.