Novel fluorinated polyurethane decorated electrospun silica nanofibrous membranes exhibiting robust waterproof and breathable performances

Abstract

Novel inorganic nanofibrous membranes with robust waterproof and breathable performances were prepared by dip-coating of synthesized fluorinated polyurethane (FPU) on free-standing electrospun silica nanofibrous (SNF) membranes. By employing the FPU incorporation, the wettability of the as-prepared SNF/FPU membranes can be dramatically changed from the superamphiphilicity to amphiphobic, meanwhile, a plausible interaction between the water droplets and composite membranes was proposed. Additionally, the mechanical property of SNF/FPU membranes can be finely controlled by regulating FPU concentrations and the diameter of silica nanofibers, and the tensile fracture process of SNF/FPU membranes was discussed. The quantitative porous analysis using the N₂ adsorption method has confirmed the correlation between the adhesion structure and wettability for the modified membranes. Furthermore, the SNF/FPU membranes exhibited good air permeability (54.04 mm s⁻¹), high hydrostatic pressure (13.5 kPa), and comparable tensile strength (15.2 MPa), suggesting a promising candidate for protective clothing, bioseparation, water purification, tissue engineering and catalyst carriers, etc.