One-step fabrication of OTS modified superhydrophobic cotton fabric and its efficient oil-water separation application

The current challenges of superhydrophobic cotton fabric lie in its intricate fabrication and the issue of fluoride contamination. This study reported an eco-friendly and one-step method without using any fluoride compounds. A cotton fabric was immersed in octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) using n-hexane as solvent and a rough surface could be achieved by adjusting the solvent, modification duration and the concentration of OTS. This one-step dip-coating process is simple without introducing any nanoparticles. The prepared modified cotton fabric exhibited a superhydrophobic property with a water contact angle (WCA) of 154.7 degrees +/- 0.5 degrees. The separation efficiency for oil-water mixtures was 99.5 % with a flux above 20,000 L center dot m(-2)center dot h(-1). The efficiency remained above 98.5 % after 20 cycles. The cotton fabric maintained superhydrophobic property even after rigorous tests for mechanical durability and chemical stability.