Premium
A biomimetic surface treatment to obtain durable omniphobic textiles
Author(s) -
De Marco Carmela,
Oldani Valeria,
Bianchi Claudia Letizia,
Levi Marinella,
Turri Stefano
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.42404
Subject(s) - materials science , contact angle , polyacrylonitrile , x ray photoelectron spectroscopy , abrasion (mechanical) , adhesion , nanotechnology , biofouling , environmental scanning electron microscope , polyester , chemical engineering , scanning electron microscope , composite material , polymer chemistry , chemistry , polymer , biochemistry , membrane , engineering
A bio‐inspired surface treatment to make fabrics omniphobic is reported, exploiting the ability of dopamine – a widespread naturally occurring biological neurotransmitter – to give substrate adhesion and surface immobilization. Standard polyester and polyacrylonitrile fabrics, which are intrinsically rather hydrophilic, are first dip‐coated in an aqueous solution of dopamine and then treated with a fluorocarbon‐based solution. After the treatment, fabrics show a strong omniphobic behavior, while remaining quite permeable to water vapor. The efficiency of the proposed biomimetic treatment is investigated by Optical Contact Angle, Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM), and X‐ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Moreover, the mechanical durability of the surface treatment is tested through Martindale abrasion resistance measurements. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132 , 42404.