Facile and environment-friendly mussel-inspired surface modification of PBO fibers via dopamine/3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane co-deposition for advanced composite

The surface of poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) (PBO) fibers was modified by a hybrid coating composed of polydopamine (PDA) and the hydrolysis products of 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (KH551) using a facile and environment-friendly mussel-inspired co-deposition strategy. The surface morphologies and chemical composition of the obtained hierarchical reinforcement (PBO@PDA/Si) were measured for confirming the successful deposition of the coating. Compared to untreated PBO fiber, the surface roughness and wettability of PBO@PDA/Si were increased remarkably. Importantly, PBO@PDA/Si showed a 50.2% increase in the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of resulting composite without any decrease in its tensile strength (TS). In addition, its atomic oxygen (AO) erosion and hydrothermal aging resistances were significantly improved. The “one-step” mussel-inspired surface modification strategy starts from simple chemistry and cheap raw materials, and may provide a novel and versatile design for fabricating multifunctional hierarchical reinforcements. [Display omitted] •PDA and hydrolysis products of KH551 are co-deposited on the surface of PBO fibers.•The interfacial properties of resulting composite is enhanced remarkably.•The compact hybrid coating endows the fibers with excellent AO erosion resistance.•The surface modification processes do not cause any decrease in tensile strength.