LAUSR

Abstract Superhydrophobic surfaces with long-lasting stability through simple fabrication procedures have attracted considerable attention. The application of existing superhydrophobic surfaces is limited, considering the use of toxic ingredients and their poor longevity. Herein, we report the novel fabrication of durable, fluorine-free, and self-healing superhydrophobic cotton textiles by utilising boric acid (H3BO3) as a cross-linker to silica nanoparticles and poly (vinyl alcohol) followed by polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) modification through a simple dip-dry coating technique. Boric acid possessed a noticeable micro/nanoporous structure with silica and poly (vinyl alcohol) via cross-linking on the surface, which showed excellent superhydrophobicity, and PDMS modification on the textile surface created a lower surface energy than unmodified textile. The fabricated surface exhibited a maximum water-contact angle of 156.84°±1.5° with a small rolling angle of 1.8°±0.3°, presenting outstanding superhydrophobicity for cotton textiles. The modified cotton textile surface had excellent durability against mechanical and chemical disturbances. The experimental findings indicated that the fabricated textile had adequate mechanical strength that could withstand sandpaper abrasion for 120 cycles, tape-peeling repetition 60 times, knife scratching for 20 cycles and washing by surfactant solutions for 80 cycles. Additionally, the modified textiles exhibited oil–water separation and self-healing abilities, therefore showing multifunctional properties that have potential in a wide range of cotton textile surface treatments.