A novel comb-like polysiloxane (QPEPS) bearing dimethyldodecyl quaternary ammonium polyether groups (QPEs) was synthesized by reaction of epoxy polyether polysiloxane, which was prepared from polymethylhydrosiloxane (PHMS) and allyl polyether epoxy (APEE500) via hydrosilylation, with N,N-dimethyldodecylamine (DMDA) in the presence of acetic acid (HAc). Chemical structure, film morphology, and performance of the synthesized polysiloxane on cotton and its mimic substrates were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectrum, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum, field emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and so on. As expected, the QPEPS was easily emulsified into a clear, uniform micro-emulsion with a mean size of about 20 nm. Since the presence of a large number of cationic QPEs pendant in the side chains, the QPEPS exhibited microscopic inhomogeneous morphology with many pinnacles projected on the film surface. As a result, the root mean square roughness (Rq) of the QPEPS film reached 0.615 nm in 2 µm × 2 µm scanning field and the largest height of the pinnacles achieved 7.618 nm. And under the influence of the QPEs, the QPEPS provided the treated fabrics with not only very soft handle, but also excellent hygroscopicity. And the wettability of the treated fabrics reached 1–3 s. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40612.

Superhydrophobic coating was developed on cotton fabric in this article using a dodecafluoroheptyl-containing polyacrylate (DFPA) and nanosilica. Film morphology of DFPA on cotton fibers/fabrics and chemical compositions of the treated cotton fabric were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. DFPA could form a relatively even film on the cotton fabric/fiber under SEM observation; however, it presented a rough and microphase-separated pattern under AFM observation. There were many mountain-like protuberances. The height of the protuberances and the root mean square roughness (R_ms) of the film reached about 20–50 nm and 12.511 nm in 2 × 2-μm² scanning field (as the scale data was 100 nm). XPS analysis indicated that the perfluoroalkyl groups had the tendency to enrich at the film–air interface. DFPA could make the treated cotton fabric with a water contact angle (WCA) at about 138.5°. Cotton fabric was previously roughened using a 1 wt % silica sol with an average particle size of 20–30 nm and then finished by DFPA; hydrophobicity of the resultant cotton fabric was strongly improved, and WCA could reach 153.6°. The color of this superhydrophobic fabric would not be influenced, but its softness decreased compared to untreated fabric. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013

In this research, hydroxyl-terminated polyether-block-polydimethylsiloxane (PESO) was synthesized as an intermediate through the hydrosilylation of SiH-terminated polydimethylsiloxane with allyl polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene ether. Then, carboxylated polyether-block-polydimethylsiloxane (CPES) was prepared through the reaction of maleic anhydride with PESO. First, the chemical structures of the synthesized polysiloxanes were characterized with IR and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy, and then the film morphology of CPES and the supermolecule self-assembled from CPES and N-β-aminoethyl-γ-aminopropyl polydimethylsiloxane (ASO-1) was investigated by atomic force microscopy in detail. Experimental results indicated that the superpolysiloxane that self-assembled from CPES and ASO-1 showed a film morphology very different from those of CPES and ASO-1. There were not only many small, bright dots but also some big and marvelous dots circled by dots on the film surface. The morphology of dots circled by dots was estimated to result from aggregates of CPES micelles adsorbed onto the curled ASO-1 molecule interface. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008