Pathogen-Repellent Superhydrophobic PANI/ER/FOTS Coating on Breathable Cotton Fabrics with Photothermal Antibacterial Activity

The increasing frequency of airborne and viral diseases is posing a substantial threat to human health and safety. To enhance hygiene and safety in daily environments, there is an urgent need for protective wearable kits that can be functionalized with advanced properties, such as photothermal antibacterial, self-cleaning, and microbial antiadhesion. In this study, a composite of polyaniline nanoparticles (PANI NPs), epoxy resin (ER), and 1 H,1 H,2 H,2 H -perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (FOTS) was applied to cotton fabric using a dip-coating technique. Structural and chemical analyses of the prepared coatings reveal that the combination of these NPs is crucial for developing a hierarchical micro–nano structure as well as generating photothermal heating. Incorporating epoxy resin enhances the adhesion of the coating, while FOTS reduces surface energy. This synergistic interaction among the components not only optimizes the coating’s functional characteristics but also extends its potential applications in health protection. As a result, the coated cotton fabric exhibits an impressive water contact angle (WCA) of 157 ± 2° and a low sliding angle (SA) of 6°. The surface temperature of the coatings increased to 64 °C under 2 Sun irradiations within 10 min, suggesting potential for photothermal antibacterial activity. The coatings demonstrated remarkable stability in tests such as mechanical abrasion, adhesive tape peeling, washing, ultrasonication, and chemical resistance. Furthermore, the coating on cotton maintains excellent flexibility, breathability, air permeability, and water vapor transmission. Additionally, the coated cotton shows outstanding bacterial repellence and self-cleaning capabilities. So, the modified cotton fabric could be useful for hygiene and safety applications due to its advanced features, including the ability to repel microbes, enable photothermal-enhanced antibacterial performance, and exhibit superhydrophobic self-cleaning properties.