Robust, washable, and self-healing superhydrophobic fabrics with non-iridescence structural colors were prepared by a one-step spray coating technique using easily available materials: polyacrylate (PA) adhesive, monodisperse poly(styrene-methyl methacrylate-acrylic acid) (P(St-MMA-AA)) colloidal microspheres, and carbon black (CB). The color of the coated fabrics could be tuned as violet, green or red by just varying the size of the microspheres, and this method was effective in enhancing the fastness of the structural color on fabrics; for example, the coated fabrics could repeatedly withstand standard laundry, expedite laundry, and even supersonic vibrating cleaning without apparent color fading. In addition, the as-formed fabrics maintained superhydrophobicity with a high contact angle (>150°). The coated fabrics could also restore its super liquid-repellent property by a short-time heating treatment or room temperature ageing after being tentatively damaged. This simple but effective coating method may facilitate the development of special functional clothing for various applications.

Robust, washable, and self-healing superhydrophobic fabrics with non-iridescence structural colors were prepared by a one-step spray coating technique using easily available materials: polyacrylate (PA) adhesive, monodisperse poly(styrene-methyl methacrylate-acrylic acid) (P(St-MMA-AA)) colloidal microspheres, and carbon black (CB). The color of the coated fabrics could be tuned as violet, green or red by just varying the size of the microspheres, and this method was effective in enhancing the fastness of the structural color on fabrics; for example, the coated fabrics could repeatedly withstand standard laundry, expedite laundry, and even supersonic vibrating cleaning without apparent color fading. In addition, the as-formed fabrics maintained superhydrophobicity with a high contact angle (>150°). The coated fabrics could also restore its super liquid-repellent property by a short-time heating treatment or room temperature ageing after being tentatively damaged. This simple but effective coating method may facilitate the development of special functional clothing for various applications.

Use of structural colors for humidity sensors has great potential owing to their not being power driven and having distinct stimulus/color variation properties, but unfortunately most 1D, 2D or 3D photonic crystals have subtle nanostructures which are difficult to fabricate. Here we report a one-layer sub-micron thin film with bright color and high sensitivity to humidity, by spin coating of silk fibroin (SF) solution. The optical properties of the SF film caused by thin film interference can be easily tuned by the coating rates. Due to the high hydrophilicity of SF, the film exhibits fast responses with evident color variation in 5 s. And combined with the large peak red-shifts for more than 130 nm, such a thin film is superior to many other multilayered or photonic crystal based humidity sensors. Considering the good reversibility and durability, these low-cost but highly efficient SF spin coating sensors can realize colorimetric detection of humidity like pH indicator papers, and may have great potential in applications for anti-counterfeit labeling.

We demonstrate the modulation of physical and mechanical properties by controlling crystallinity in cross-linked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibers using a simple and straightforward freezing/thawing process. PVA chains in the cross-linked network are swollen and rearrange through the freezing/thawing process, resulting in the formation of more hydrogen bonding and hence, a higher degree of crystallization in the nanofibers compared to pristine electrospun nanofibers. Quantitative analyses with X-ray diffraction and FT-IR studies confirm increases of the crystallite diameter from 24.2 Å to 28.3 Å and the degree of crystallinity from 23.5% to 43.6%, respectively. Also, we found that the increase of crystallinity led to a dramatic enhancement of the mechanical properties: the tensile strength was increased up to ∼165% compared to pristine nanofibers, while the elongation at break was decreased. This straightforward and facile process will enable us to precisely control crystallinity, and also to fine-tune the physical properties of polymeric nanofibers; consequently, the method will broaden the application of polymeric nanofibers.

An ultrasonication-assisted in situ deposition strategy was utilised to uniformly decorate plasmonic Ag nanoparticles on vertically aligned TiO2 nanotube arrays (NTAs) to construct a Ag@TiO2 NTA composite. The Ag nanoparticles act as efficient surface plasmon resonance (SPR) photosensitizers to drive photocatalytic water splitting under visible light irradiation. The Ag nanoparticles were uniformly deposited on the surface and inside the highly oriented TiO2 nanotubes. The visible-light-driven hydrogen production activities of silver nanoparticle anchored TiO2 nanotube array photocatalysts were evaluated using methanol as a sacrificial reagent in water under a 500 W Xe lamp with a UV light cutoff filter (λ ≥ 420 nm). It was found that the hydrogen production rate of the Ag@TiO2 NTAs prepared with ultrasonication-assisted deposition for 5 min was approximately 15 times higher than that of its pristine TiO2 NTAs counterpart. The highly efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution is attributed to the SPR effect of Ag for enhanced visible light absorption and boosting the photogenerated electron–hole separation/transfer. This strategy is promising for the design and construction of high efficiency TiO2 based photocatalysts for solar energy conversion.

The Morpho butterfly's wings display beautiful, naturally-occurring iridescent colors that are produced by incident light interacting with periodic nanostructures on wing scales. This type of photonic structure has attracted a great amount of attention from international researchers; studies devoted to this structure have especially increased in recent years. Due to the development of research on nature-inspired bionic structures, as well as demand for high-efficient low-cost microfabrication techniques, understanding and replicating the mechanism of Morpho butterfly structural coloration have become increasingly significant. These sophisticated structures have many unique functions and can be used for many applications. This review summarizes recent progress in bio-inspired sensors based on the photonic structures of Morpho butterfly wings. Bio-inspired sensors for infrared radiation/thermal, pH, vapor etc. are discussed in detail, with particular focus on fabrication methods and operation mechanisms. Finally, the disadvantages and limitations that may limit the practical applications of bio-inspired sensors are presented and discussed.

Solar cells containing upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) used as a power source in biomedical nanosystems have attracted great interest. However, such solar cells further need to be developed because their substrate materials should be biocompatible, flexible and highly luminescent. Here, we report that freestanding silk fibroin (SF) films containing a mesh of silver nanowires (AgNWs) and β-NaYF4:Yb,Er nanocrystals with metal-enhanced fluorescence behavior can be fabricated. The freestanding composite films exhibit properties such as good optical transparency, conductivity and flexibility. Furthermore, they show significantly enhanced upconversion fluorescence due to surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) of AgNWs compared to the SF–UCNP films without AgNWs. The freestanding composite films with metal-enhanced fluorescence behavior show great promise for future applications in self-powered nanodevices such as cardiac pacemakers, biosensors and nanorobots.

Due to their excellent photonic characteristics, colloidal crystals with periodic porous structures have attracted attention in fields such as bioseparation and photonic devices. In this work, we report a facile method to fabricate ultra-long colloidal crystal stripes with opal and inversed-opal structures. The colloidal crystal stripes were grown in a self-assembly process between polymeric microspheres (∼450 nm in diameter) and silica particles (14 nm ± 5 nm), and formed during vertical evaporation of the solvent. The as-grown colloidal crystal stripes can be automatically curled and peeled from the glass substrate. The polymeric spheres were subsequently removed by sintering the composite under 500 °C, yielding porous stripes with inverse-opal structures. Polystyrene-block-poly-(methyl methacrylate)-block-poly-(acrylic acid) (P(St-MMA-AA)) composite microspheres were synthesized to be used as polymeric microspheres in this process. To successfully fabricate ICPC stripes, the continuous colloidal film must be pinned on the substrate surface, directional self-assembly of colloidal particles must occur, and there must be strong interaction among colloidal particles with sufficient magnitude of inner stress. Displaying characteristics such as centimeter-scale length, a periodic porous structure, and structural colors, these stripes have potential applications in bioanalysis, optical guides, and novel photonic devices.

•SF hydrogel gains great interesting due to high water content and biocompatibility.•Under a low DC electric field (25 V), SF solution begins to gel immediately.•Utilization of electrogelation to prepare silk fibroin gel is novel and efficient.•Alcohol treatment and UV photocuring are used for the rapid prototyping of SF gels.Silk fibroin (SF) hydrogel is obtained from the SF aqueous solution, ethanol treatment and ultraviolet photocuring are used for rapid prototyping of the SF electrogels. Shear rheology, morphology, mechanical properties and mechanism of the rapid prototyping of SF electrogels are investigated by rheometer, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and tensile strength tester. The results show that ethanol treatment and ultraviolet photocuring are two appropriate methods for rapid prototyping of the SF electrogels.

•An aqueous solution route is developed for transparent conducting carbon film.•Introducing Cu catalyzer can enhance the conductivity of the carbon film.•Carbon film can be easily deposited on flexible substrate owing to the precursor's excellent forming ability and permeability.We report an aqueous solution route for directly depositing transparent carbon thin film on SiO2 substrate using polyethyleneimine as carbon precursor. The conductivity of the carbon thin film is calculated to be ~1500 S/cm. Benefiting from film forming ability and permeability of PEI, homogenous and smooth carbon thin films can be deposited onto the quartz substrate with different shapes (e.g. flexible quartz fibers). Investigation finds that additional Cu ions in the precursor could prevent the decomposition and evaporation of PEI to help the graphitization of carbon thin film. Moreover, the Cu ions aggregating to Cu nanoparticles significantly enhance the absorption of carbon thin film, which may advance the application of carbon thin film in surface plasmon resonance.A catalyst/transfer free route is employed to grow the transparent conducting carbon film on SiO2 substrate/fiber in polymer-assisted aqueous solution. Extra Cu ions bound to polyethyleneimine facilitate the formation of the partially graphitized ultra-thin carbon film. The conductivity of the carbon film is calculated to be ~1500 S /cm.

An ultrasonication-assisted successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) strategy was developed for uniform deposition of high density p-type Bi2O3 quantum dots on n-type TiO2 nanotube arrays (Bi2O3@TiO2 NTAs), which were constructed by electrochemical anodization in ethylene glycol containing the electrolyte. Compared with pristine TiO2 NTAs, the Bi2O3 quantum dots sensitized TiO2 NTAs exhibited highly efficient photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO). The kinetic constant of Bi2O3@TiO2 NTAs prepared by an ultrasonication-assisted SILAR process of 4 cycles was 1.95 times higher than that of the pristine TiO2 NTA counterpart. The highly efficient photocatalytic activity is attributed to the synergistic effect between the formation of a uniform p–n heterojunction with high-density for enhancing light absorption and facilitating photogenerated electron–hole separation/transfer. The results suggest that Bi2O3@TiO2 p–n heterojunction nanotube arrays are very promising for enhancing the photocatalytic activity and open up a promising strategy for designing and constructing high efficiency heterogeneous semiconductor photocatalysts.

Novel, freestanding membranes composed of SiO2@Bi2O3 hierarchical core/shell fibers were prepared by a combination of two fabrication methods: electrospinning and hydrothermal reaction. The SiO2@Bi2O3 composite membranes were primarily supported by flexible SiO2 fibers after the calcination treatment of electrospun PVA/SiO2 hybrid fibrous membranes. SiO2@Bi2O3 composite fibers were fabricated via a process that entails hydrothermal growth of a bismuth precursor nanocoating (Bi-PN) on the surface of SiO2 fibers followed by the thermal treatment of the harvested SiO2@Bi-PN fibers. It was observed that Bi2O3 nanoparticles were well anchored on the surface of SiO2 fibers and the phase transition of Bi2O3 nanoparticles occurred during the thermal treatment of SiO2@Bi-PN composite fibers at different temperatures. The infrared emission rates of the resultant SiO2@Bi2O3 composite membranes were evaluated in comparison with pure SiO2 fibers in 2–22 μm wavebands. It is theorized that the coating of Bi2O3 nanoparticles contributes to the decrease of infrared emissivity, and the infrared emission properties of SiO2@Bi2O3 composite fibers are related to the α-Bi2O3 phase. The results favourably indicated prospects of SiO2@Bi2O3 composite fibrous membranes for applications in infrared stealth camouflage.

Inspired by the surface geometry and composition of the lotus leaf with its self-cleaning behavior, in this work, a TiO2@fabric composite was prepared via a facile strategy for preparing marigold flower-like hierarchical TiO2 particles through a one-pot hydrothermal reaction on a cotton fabric surface. In addition, a robust superhydrophobic TiO2@fabric was further constructed by fluoroalkylsilane modification as a versatile platform for UV shielding, self-cleaning and oil–water separation. The results showed TiO2 particles were uniformly distributed on the fibre surface with a high coating density. In comparison with hydrophobic cotton fabric, the TiO2@fabric exhibited a high superhydrophobic activity with a contact angle of ∼160° and a sliding angle lower than 10°. The robust superhydrophobic fabric had high stability against repeated abrasion without an apparent reduction in contact angle. The as-prepared composite TiO2@fabric demonstrated good anti-UV ability. Moreover, the composite fabric demonstrated highly efficient oil–water separation due to its extreme wettability contrast (superhydrophobicity/superoleophilicity). We expect that this facile process can be readily and widely adopted for the design of multifunctional fabrics for excellent anti-UV, effective self-cleaning, efficient oil–water separation, and microfluidic management applications.

A combination of electrodeposition and carbonation techniques was adopted to deposit reduced graphene oxide films on TiO2 nanotube arrays (RGO-TiO2 NTAs), which were prepared by two-step electrochemical anodization in ethylene glycol system. The RGO-TiO2 NTAs exhibit a significantly enhanced photocatalytic degradation ability for methyl orange (MO) than pristine TiO2 NTAs and annealed TiO2 NTAs under the same conditions. The kinetic constant for the photocatalytic degradation of MO using RGO-TiO2 NTAs prepared by annealing in an Ar atmosphere at 550 °C was 2.9 times higher than that using the pristine TiO2 NTAs. The highly efficient photocatalytic activity is attributed to the enhanced separation efficiency of photoinduced electrons and holes, the red shift of the absorption band in the UV region as well as the strong adsorption ability of RGO towards MO molecules. This proposed facile strategy provides a promising avenue to synthesize novel TiO2 NTAs-based hybrid materials for efficient photocatalysis in the future.

A fibrous, flexible supercapacitor (FFSC) electrode with unique layer-by-layer structures is constructed using a one-step electrophoretic method. The highly enhanced capacitance of 53.56 mF cm−2 and good charge/discharge stability is attributed to the synergistic effect between the GO nano-sheet and carbon nano-sphere for electrolyte contact and ion transportation. Such a construction method can be employed to construct various FFSC electrodes for portable energy storage and wearable electronics applications.

Correction for ‘Fibrous and flexible supercapacitors comprising hierarchical nanostructures with carbon spheres and graphene oxide nanosheets’ by Xiong Zhang et al., J. Mater. Chem. A, 2015, DOI: 10.1039/c5ta03252k.

Because structural color is fadeless and dye-free, structurally colored materials have attracted great attention in a wide variety of research fields. In this work, we report the use of a novel structural coloration strategy applied to the fabrication of colorful colloidal fibers. The nanostructured fibers with tunable structural colors were massively produced by colloidal electrospinning. Experimental results and theoretical modeling reveal that the homogeneous and noniridescent structural colors of the electrospun fibers are caused by two phenomena: reflection due to the band gap of photonic structure and Mie scattering of the colloidal spheres. Our unprecedented findings show promise in paving way for the development of revolutionary dye-free technology for the coloration of various fibers.Keywords: colloidal electrospinning; Mie scattering; noniridescent; photonic band gap; structural coloration;

The biomimetic structure and composition of biomaterials are recognized as critical factors that determine their biological performance. A bioinspired nano-micro structured octacalcium phosphate (OCP)/silk fibroin (SF) composite coating on titanium was achieved through a mild electrochemically induced deposition method. Findings indicate that SF plays a critical role in constructing the unique biomimetic hierarchical structure of OCP/SF composite coating layers. In vitro cell culture tests demonstrate that the presence of OCP/SF composite coatings, with highly ordered and hierarchically porous structure, greatly enhance cellular responses. The coatings developed in this study have considerable potential for various hard tissue engineering and applications.Keywords: cell culture; composite coating; nano-micro structure; OCP; silk fibroin

Silver nanowire-coated silk fibroin (SF) was used to create composite films with high flexibility, good electrical conductivity and excellent mechanical properties. SF was coated with a layer of entangled silver nanowires (AgNWs) that were sputtered with a platinum layer. The SF–AgNWs composite films exhibited excellent performance with a conductivity of ∼15.0 Ω sq−1 and transmittance of ∼80% in the visible light range. The films also retained conductivity even after being bent hundreds of times; this recovery was attributed to the structure of the embedded AgNWs in SF, and metallic contacts among the AgNWs induced by the ion sputtering. The SF–AgNWs composite films also showed promise in practical applications, including as a conduit to light emitting diodes (LEDs). These novel composite films could be used to fabricate wearable electronics and implantable devices.

Cellulose acetate (CA) composite ultrafine fibers containing different TiO2 nanoparticle (NP) contents were synthesized via electrospinning for effective dyeing water treatment. Morphology, chemical composition, microstructure, thermal properties and photocatalytic degradation efficiency of the fabricated composite ultrafine fibers were investigated. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) images revealed that TiO2 NPs were evenly dispersed on or into the composite ultrafine fibers and the distribution became denser as the concentration of TiO2 NPs increased. This was also confirmed by Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR) analyses. Moreover, the results of XRD showed that the crystal structure of the TiO2 NPs was tetragonal anatase and the TiO2 NPs enhanced the amorphous phase of the electrospun composite ultrafine fibers. FTIR indicated that the introduction of TiO2 did not affect the hydrophilic properties of CA and some interaction took place between CA and TiO2. Thermal gravimetric (TG) analysis showed that the addition of TiO2 improved the thermal stability of the CA ultrafine fibers, and a higher thermal stability could be achieved with a higher TiO2 content. Photocatalytic degradation of the dye showed that a higher reaction constant of the photocatalytic degradation of the dye could be obtained with a higher TiO2 content, with a degradation efficiency of the CA composite ultrafine fibers with 5 wt% TiO2 as high as 90% after 240 min degradation. The composite ultrafine fibers were effective for cycling use in dyeing water treatment.

Organic electronics have gained widespread attention due to their flexibility, lightness, and low-cost potential. It is attractive due to the possibility of large-scale roll-to-roll processing. However, organic electronics require additional development before they can be made commercially available and fully integrated into everyday life. To achieve feasibility for commercial use, these devices must be biocompatible and flexible while maintaining high performance. In this study, biocompatible silk fibroin (SF) was integrated with a mesh of silver nanowires (AgNWs) to build up flexible organic solar cells with maximum power conversion efficiency of up to 6.62%. The AgNW/SF substrate exhibits a conductivity of ∼11.0 Ω/sq and transmittance of ∼80% in the visible light range. These substrates retained their conductivity, even after being bent and unbent 200 times; this surprising ability was attributed to its embedded structure and the properties of the specific SF materials used. To contrast, indium tin oxide on synthetic plastic substrate lost its conductivity after the much less rigid bending. These lightweight and silk-based organic solar cells pave the way for future biocompatible interfaces between wearable electronics and human skin.Keywords: biocompatible; flexibility; organic solar cells; silk fibroin; silver nanowires

Structurally colored fibers were fabricated using different-sized polystyrene (PS) nanospheres via electrophoretic deposition on conductive carbon fiber surfaces. The reflective spectra corresponding to different colors were taken by microzone and angle-resolved spectrometers from a single colloidal fiber. As confirmed by structural analysis, the outer layer of the core–shell colloidal fibers consisted of face-centered cubic (f.c.c.) domains without long-range order. It is revealed that the absence of long-range order in the colloidal assembly caused isotropic reflection in radial and longitudinal directions on the colloidal fibers. Furthermore, due to the incorporation of random defects during growth process, the experimental spectra are blue-shifted and broad compared to reflective spectra calculations based on the curved f.c.c. structure. This technique is speculated to have potential application in structural coloration and radiation-proof fabrics.

Electrospinning provides a versatile method for generating fibrous materials from a large variety of substances, including polymers, composites, proteins, and nano/microcolloids. In particular, the incorporation of nano/microparticles with polymeric materials is beneficial to many of electrospun fibers with multiple functionalities. This report evaluates the spinnability of a polymer solution containing polymer nanoparticles obtained through electrospinning. Tunable structures of electrospun composite fibers were obtained from a blended solution of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polystyrene nanospheres (PSNs). The in-fiber arrangements of polymer nanoparticle fibers, influenced by the PVA:PSN weight ratio, and the viscosity of the blended solution and the size of PSNs were systemically studied. Once PVA was determined to dominate the solution, the diameter of the electrospun PVA fibers was comparable to the diameters of the colloidal particles, which confined the nanospheres into string-on-bead and necklace-like structures. When PSNs occupied a large portion of the solution, PVA wrapped the PSNs, forming a blackberry-like aggregate and a uniform colloidal fiber. The results from the colloid electrospinning serve as references in the creation of novel composite fibers involving various polymer nanoparticles via electrospinning. The obtained composite fibers of the polymers and colloids are expected to have potential application in various areas.

A fibrous, flexible supercapacitor (FFSC) electrode with unique layer-by-layer structures is constructed using a one-step electrophoretic method. The highly enhanced capacitance of 53.56 mF cm−2 and good charge/discharge stability is attributed to the synergistic effect between the GO nano-sheet and carbon nano-sphere for electrolyte contact and ion transportation. Such a construction method can be employed to construct various FFSC electrodes for portable energy storage and wearable electronics applications.

Correction for ‘Fibrous and flexible supercapacitors comprising hierarchical nanostructures with carbon spheres and graphene oxide nanosheets’ by Xiong Zhang et al., J. Mater. Chem. A, 2015, DOI: 10.1039/c5ta03252k.

Solar cells containing upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) used as a power source in biomedical nanosystems have attracted great interest. However, such solar cells further need to be developed because their substrate materials should be biocompatible, flexible and highly luminescent. Here, we report that freestanding silk fibroin (SF) films containing a mesh of silver nanowires (AgNWs) and β-NaYF4:Yb,Er nanocrystals with metal-enhanced fluorescence behavior can be fabricated. The freestanding composite films exhibit properties such as good optical transparency, conductivity and flexibility. Furthermore, they show significantly enhanced upconversion fluorescence due to surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) of AgNWs compared to the SF–UCNP films without AgNWs. The freestanding composite films with metal-enhanced fluorescence behavior show great promise for future applications in self-powered nanodevices such as cardiac pacemakers, biosensors and nanorobots.

The Morpho butterfly's wings display beautiful, naturally-occurring iridescent colors that are produced by incident light interacting with periodic nanostructures on wing scales. This type of photonic structure has attracted a great amount of attention from international researchers; studies devoted to this structure have especially increased in recent years. Due to the development of research on nature-inspired bionic structures, as well as demand for high-efficient low-cost microfabrication techniques, understanding and replicating the mechanism of Morpho butterfly structural coloration have become increasingly significant. These sophisticated structures have many unique functions and can be used for many applications. This review summarizes recent progress in bio-inspired sensors based on the photonic structures of Morpho butterfly wings. Bio-inspired sensors for infrared radiation/thermal, pH, vapor etc. are discussed in detail, with particular focus on fabrication methods and operation mechanisms. Finally, the disadvantages and limitations that may limit the practical applications of bio-inspired sensors are presented and discussed.

Novel, freestanding membranes composed of SiO2@Bi2O3 hierarchical core/shell fibers were prepared by a combination of two fabrication methods: electrospinning and hydrothermal reaction. The SiO2@Bi2O3 composite membranes were primarily supported by flexible SiO2 fibers after the calcination treatment of electrospun PVA/SiO2 hybrid fibrous membranes. SiO2@Bi2O3 composite fibers were fabricated via a process that entails hydrothermal growth of a bismuth precursor nanocoating (Bi-PN) on the surface of SiO2 fibers followed by the thermal treatment of the harvested SiO2@Bi-PN fibers. It was observed that Bi2O3 nanoparticles were well anchored on the surface of SiO2 fibers and the phase transition of Bi2O3 nanoparticles occurred during the thermal treatment of SiO2@Bi-PN composite fibers at different temperatures. The infrared emission rates of the resultant SiO2@Bi2O3 composite membranes were evaluated in comparison with pure SiO2 fibers in 2–22 μm wavebands. It is theorized that the coating of Bi2O3 nanoparticles contributes to the decrease of infrared emissivity, and the infrared emission properties of SiO2@Bi2O3 composite fibers are related to the α-Bi2O3 phase. The results favourably indicated prospects of SiO2@Bi2O3 composite fibrous membranes for applications in infrared stealth camouflage.

Inspired by the surface geometry and composition of the lotus leaf with its self-cleaning behavior, in this work, a TiO2@fabric composite was prepared via a facile strategy for preparing marigold flower-like hierarchical TiO2 particles through a one-pot hydrothermal reaction on a cotton fabric surface. In addition, a robust superhydrophobic TiO2@fabric was further constructed by fluoroalkylsilane modification as a versatile platform for UV shielding, self-cleaning and oil–water separation. The results showed TiO2 particles were uniformly distributed on the fibre surface with a high coating density. In comparison with hydrophobic cotton fabric, the TiO2@fabric exhibited a high superhydrophobic activity with a contact angle of ∼160° and a sliding angle lower than 10°. The robust superhydrophobic fabric had high stability against repeated abrasion without an apparent reduction in contact angle. The as-prepared composite TiO2@fabric demonstrated good anti-UV ability. Moreover, the composite fabric demonstrated highly efficient oil–water separation due to its extreme wettability contrast (superhydrophobicity/superoleophilicity). We expect that this facile process can be readily and widely adopted for the design of multifunctional fabrics for excellent anti-UV, effective self-cleaning, efficient oil–water separation, and microfluidic management applications.

A combination of electrodeposition and carbonation techniques was adopted to deposit reduced graphene oxide films on TiO2 nanotube arrays (RGO-TiO2 NTAs), which were prepared by two-step electrochemical anodization in ethylene glycol system. The RGO-TiO2 NTAs exhibit a significantly enhanced photocatalytic degradation ability for methyl orange (MO) than pristine TiO2 NTAs and annealed TiO2 NTAs under the same conditions. The kinetic constant for the photocatalytic degradation of MO using RGO-TiO2 NTAs prepared by annealing in an Ar atmosphere at 550 °C was 2.9 times higher than that using the pristine TiO2 NTAs. The highly efficient photocatalytic activity is attributed to the enhanced separation efficiency of photoinduced electrons and holes, the red shift of the absorption band in the UV region as well as the strong adsorption ability of RGO towards MO molecules. This proposed facile strategy provides a promising avenue to synthesize novel TiO2 NTAs-based hybrid materials for efficient photocatalysis in the future.