A biomimetic surface treatment to obtain durable omniphobic textiles

A bio-inspired surface treatment to make fabrics omniphobic is reported, exploiting the ability of dopamine - a widespread naturally occurring biological neurotransmitter - to give substrate adhesion and surface immobilization. Standard polyester and polyacrylonitrile fabrics, which are intrinsically rather hydrophilic, are first dip-coated in an aqueous solution of dopamine and then treated with a fluorocarbon-based solution. After the treatment, fabrics show a strong omniphobic behavior, while remaining quite permeable to water vapor. The efficiency of the proposed biomimetic treatment is investigated by Optical Contact Angle, Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM), and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Moreover, the mechanical durability of the surface treatment is tested through Martindale abrasion resistance measurements.