Tunable wettability of polyester fabrics functionalized by chitosan/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-coacrylic acid) microgels

Functionalization of textiles has been the aim of many studies in the field of intelligent materials. Biomimesis (lotus, pinecone effect etc.), adapting informatics to textile production (integration of computer-controlled electronic sensors), creating new fibres either natural or synthetic (algae biocomposite, ferroelectric polymeric etc.) and convergence of opposites (e.g. hydrophilic with hydrophobic materials) are some of the approaches used for textile functionalization [1-5]. This research focuses on a novel approach for developing advanced textile materials with biopolymer-based functionalities: the use of a hydrophilic stimuli-responsive system based on polyelectrolyte hydrogels for the surface modification of hydrophobic polyester fabrics. The aim was to render textiles responsive to external stimuli such as pH and temperature changes, without affecting dramatically their good intrinsic properties (e.g. mechanical strength). This research involved the following tasks: preparation of surface modifying systems (hydrogels) based on specifically selected polymers; characterization of the surface functionalization; and study of the new functionalities imparted to the textile, expressed as pH/thermo-responsiveness of the material.