To obtain a hydrophobic surface, TiO2 coatings are deposited on the surface of silk fabric using atomic layer deposition (ALD) to realize a hierarchical roughness structure. The surface morphology and topography, structure, and wettability properties of bare silk fabric and TiO2-coated silk fabrics thus prepared are evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), scanning probe microscope (SPM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), static water contact angles (WCAs), and roll-off angles, respectively. The surfaces of the silk fabrics with the TiO2 coatings exhibit higher surface roughnesses compared with those of the bare silk fabric. Importantly, the hydrophobic and laundering durability properties of the TiO2-coated silk fabrics are largely improved by increasing the thickness of the ALD TiO2 coating. Meanwhile, the ALD process has a litter effect on the service performance of silk fabric. Overall, TiO2 coating using an ALD process is recognized as a promising approach to produce hydrophobic surfaces for elastic materials.
Keywords: TiO2; atomic layer deposition; durable; hydrophobic; service performance.