One-way water transport fabrics with hydrophobic rough surface formed in one-step electrospray

Abstract A one-way water transport (also called OWT) cotton fabric is prepared by depositing a thin layer of hydrophobic polymer microspheres/nanospheres formed during one-step electrospray on one side of the hydrophilic cotton fabric. Rough surface resulted from the deposited microspheres/nanospheres mainly contributes to the hydrophobicity of electrosprayed layer and the layer thickness plays an important role in determining the water transport ability. OWT ability is observed in the cotton fabric with the electrosprayed layer thickness between 11 μm and 26 μm; when the layer is thinner than 11 μm or over 26 μm, the fabric shows a two-way or blocked water transport ability. This novel OWT fabric can be used in “smart” textiles for various applications.