Durable superamphiphobic and photocatalytic fabrics: tackling the loss of super-non-wettability due to surface organic contamination

Superamphiphobic surfaces are self-cleaning against various liquids and dirt particles but they are not resistant to trace organic contaminants, the accumulation of which on surface would cause a decline in the liquid repellency. In this work, superamphiphobic and photocatalytic fabrics are developed that allow the elimination of various organic substances from surface by using photocatalytic decomposition. The fabrics have a contact angle of 163, 156, and 158° to water, hexadecane, and sunflower oil, respectively. They are also demonstrated to be able to decompose methylene blue, oleic acid and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) under UV light. The removal of human body grease or laundry detergent from surface to recover the super-non-wettability was demonstrated through the natural sunlight exposure. The slight damage on superamphiphobicity caused by the photocatalytic activity can be cured with simple heat treatment. In addition, the superamphiphobic fabrics show excellent durability against abrasion and repeated washing. The photocatalytic and heat-curing strategy reported here may bring superamphiphobic fabrics one step closer to practical application in various fields.