Growth of nanostructured ZnO on wearable fabrics for functional garment

• ZnO nanostructures were grown at low temperature via solution methods on fabrics.
• The ZnO seed layer was critical for the growth of ZnO nanorods on fabrics.
• The ZnO nanorods on fabrics showed comparable properties with solid substrates.

ZnO thin films and nanorods were grown via a wet chemical route on various wearable fabrics such as cotton, nylon, and polyester. The seed layer of ZnO was deposited by a dip-pad-cure method, and thermolysis assisted chemical solution method was used to grow well-aligned ZnO nanorods. The growth behaviors were investigated by comparing ZnO nanorods with/without a seed layer and on different fabrics. The seed layer significantly influenced the growth of ZnO nanorods while the types of fabrics did not. Nanostructured ZnO on fabrics showed reduced diffused reflectance near 380 nm by absorbing UV light. Increased electrical conductivity was also observed due to the ZnO nanorods.