Superhydrophilic surface modification of fabric via coating with cysteic acid mineral oxide

[Display omitted] •Woven and non-woven fabrics are made superhydrophilic by the coating with cysteic acid functionalized metal oxide (CAMO) nanoparticles.•Untreated spunlace polypropylene (contact angle = 147.5°) shows the greatest change after CAMO treatment to a water absorption time of 15 ms.•Aluminum oxide core provides superior performance over the homologous iron oxide nanoparticle cores. Cysteic acid functionalized mineral oxide nanoparticles can be used to impart superhydrophilic performance on a range of woven and non-woven fabrics. Woven and non-woven fabrics spray and dip coated alumina and iron oxide based cysteic acid functionalized mineral oxide nanoparticles, were characterized by SEM, EDX and the change in water contact angle was measured or where the increased hydrophilicity was sufficiently great that the time for the adsorption of the water droplet was measured. Fabrics showed a remarkable increase in the hydrophilicity upon coating with cysteic acid functionalized mineral oxide nanoparticles, although alumina-based materials performed better than the iron oxide homologs. Untreated spunlace polypropylene (contact angle = 147.5°) shows the greatest change after CAMO treatment to a water absorption time of 15 ms.