An eco-friendly and low-temperature dyeing for wool fibres using dihydroxyacetone induced Maillard reaction

The Maillard reaction in food has been reported extensively. However, using the Maillard reaction to achieve a low-temperature and environmental-friendly dyeing for wool has rarely been investigated in detail. Inspired by the browning effect of dihydroxyacetone (DHA) in sunless tanning products, we developed DHA as a new colourant to quickly realise the sustainable dyeing for wool fibres via the Maillard reaction. DHA dyeing processes were studied under different DHA concentrations, reaction times, pH, and temperatures. Minitab statistical software was used to design factorial experiments and analyse the main and interaction effects of these four factors. In addition, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and ultraviolet (UV) protection test results demonstrated that DHA dyeing not only caused desirable damage to the cuticle scales of wool fibres but also provided excellent anti-ultraviolet properties to dyed fibres. [Display omitted] •It is the first time to dye wool with dihydroxyacetone (DHA) via Maillard reaction.•DHA, as a colourant, is plant-derived, eco-friendly, and biodegradable.•Factorial design experiments are used to analyse the effects of dyeing parameters.•DHA can provide dyed wool fibres with excellent ultraviolet resistance.