UV-durable superhydrophobic textiles with UV-shielding properties by introduction of ZnO/SiO2 core/shell nanorods on PET fibers and hydrophobization

• ZnO nanostructures were grown uniformly covering around PET fibers.
• The ZnO structures were treated by silica to suppress the photoactivity of ZnO.
• The textiles decorated with ZnO/silica core/shell structures were hydrophobized.
• UV-durable superhydrophobic textiles with UV-shielding properties were obtained.

ZnO nanostructures with different morphologies were grown on poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers by a hydrothermal process at a low temperature of 93 °C. Then the ZnO nanorod decorated fibers were layer-by-layer coated with silica forming ZnO/SiO2 core/shell structures on the textiles, and hydrophobized with hexadecyltrimethoxysilane. Scanning electron microscopy showed that introduction of ZnO nanostructures onto fibers made the textiles roughened dramatically, favoring the formation of superhydrophobic surfaces. Ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry analysis and contact angle measurement of the textiles showed that growth of ZnO on the fibers enhanced the UV-blocking ability of the textiles, and coating of silica improved not only the UV-shielding property but also the UV-durability of the superhydrophobicity on the textiles.

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