Surface modification and characterization of polyester fabric by coating with low temperature synthesized ZnO nanorods

Abstract: Polyester fabric surface was coated with ZnO spherical nanoparticles and nanorods using sol gel and hydrothermal synthesis methods. Three different molar concentrations of sol gel solution (0.14, 0.12, and 0.08 M) were prepared for ZnO particle synthesis. Size distribution and polydispersity index of ZnO nanoparticles in the synthesized solution were measured by particle analyzer. The initial coating of polyester surface with ZnO nanoparticles was accomplished by dip coating into 0.08 M sol gel solution. In the second stage, over this coating, ZnO nanorod structures were grown. 0.08 and 0.16 molar solutions were synthesized to investigate the effect of different molar concentrations on ZnO rod growing mechanism on the surface of the polyester fabric. Morphological, structural and chemical characterization of the surface was made by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy measurements. Crystal structure of ZnO, bonded to the surface of polyester fabric was measured by X-ray diffraction analysis. Thermal properties of pristine polyester and ZnO coated polyester fabric were determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The wettability of the ZnO coated polyester surface was quantified by water contact angle (WCA) measurement. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]