Durable functionalization of polyethylene terephthalate fabrics using metal oxides nanoparticles

[Display omitted] •Durable hydrophilic surface functionalization of otherwise inert PET•Interlinked NPs - resin network imparts durability.•Change in surface functionality, in this case hydrophilicity was confirmed using XPS•Surface characterization techniques demonstrate hydrophilicity by increased O/C ratio and surface −OH bond percentage•Reported methodology is a single step and aqueous based The share of polyester (polyethylene terephthalate, PET) in textiles has been continuously increasing over the last several years due to its high mechanical durability and low cost and has reached 80%. However, polyester suffers from many problems and most of them arise from its poor hydrophilicity and inability to get functionalized as it lacks sufficient functional groups on its surface. In this study, a facile method is reported to impart durable functionalization of PET substrate, wherein different metal oxide NPs were mixed with a nonreactive hydrophilic resin and applied on the fabric using a simple pad-dry-cure method. The treated PET fabrics were characterized for changes in the surface morphology and chemical composition both in as-applied state and after several cycles of laundry washes. The treatment effectively and durably enhanced the hydroxyl group concentration on the surface of PET fabric even with the application at a very low concentration of ∼ 1 wt%, which is very critical for its industrial viability. This finishing methodology opens up the possibility of imparting durable functionalities such as photocatalytic, UV absorption, antistatic, and/or moisture management properties to otherwise inert hydrophobic PET fabric.