Interfacial Modification for Improvement of Zinc Oxide Deposition in Advanced Functional Fibres

Abstract

ABSTRACT The functionalization of conventional fibres has attracted considerable interest as highly versatile materials in various applications. ZnO, a widely used functional material, can be deposited on natural fibres via a classic electroless deposition (ELD) method through an autocatalytic-initiated chemical reaction process. However, the interfacial modification between the organic fibre substrates and the inorganic active materials is a key problem that influences the durability and recycling ability of the functionalized fibres. To find the solution, this study aims to strengthen the linkage by applying polymers such as polymer brush, tannic acid, and curcumin over the surface of natural fibres via hydrogen bonding and π interaction. Then, the catalysts for ELD can be chelated and anchored on the polymer-coated fibres to improve the following ZnO deposition process. The as-prepared cotton fibres have shown an extraordinary durable UV-protective property with an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) up to 309 despite 50 laundering cycles. Meanwhile, the ZnO nanostructures were controlled by adjusting the experimental conditions of the ELD process to fit the applications. Moreover, the nanostructured ZnO was deposited not only on the outer but also on the inner wall surface of the natural hollow fibres to improve the density of the ZnO and to provide inspiration for future immobilization of metallic oxides on tubular-structured substrates. Additionally, the ZnO-loaded kapok fibres have also served as the photocatalysts for ultraviolet degradation of organic pollutants, which provide a decomposition efficiency of 80%. Furthermore, after being doped with reduced graphene oxide (rGO), the photodegradation efficiency of the ZnO-kapok catalysts was boosted to 90% under 2-h UV irradiation. The research demonstrated an advanced renewable upgrade of ordinary natural fibres or even wasted fibres by ZnO ELD with interfacial modifications. For the benefit of human lives, the applications of these durable functional fibres in this research are extended from UV blocking to UV utilization.

Date of Award	13 Sept 2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester
Supervisor	Xiaogang Chen (Supervisor) & Xuqing Liu (Supervisor)