Fabrics with self-adaptive wettability controlled by “light-and-dark”

Abstract

Self-adaptive wettability is built on fibrous textile material through a simple one-step fabric treatment with nanotitania followed by controlled exposure to “light” and “dark”. The self-adaptive feature created a fabric with one side having superhydrophilic and the other having hydrophobic properties. With the two contrasting properties, water can be transported unidirectionally from the hydrophobic side to the superhydrophilic side through the cooperation of 2D nano-capillary and 3D marco-capillary channels of the titania treated fabric.