A new method to prepare superhydrophobic cotton fabrics by post-coating surface modification of ZnO nanoparticles

[Display omitted] •ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized and coated on cotton by padding cure technique.•Post-deposition modification of the fabric was done with hexadecyltrimethoxysilane.•Durable superhydrophobic cotton surface was obtained with the technique. A new, simple and low cost method for the preparation of superhydrophobic cotton fabric by post-coating surface modification of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) is developed. The method includes synthesis of ZnO NPs, their coating on fabric by padding dry cure technique and post deposition surface modification of the nanoparticles and of the fabric with hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDMS). The synthesized ZnO NPs and surface modified cotton fabrics were fully characterized. The ZnO coated and HDMS modified cotton fabric showed very high water contact angle of 152°. The high contact angle was maintained even after several washing cycles.