Recent developments in preparation, properties, and applications of superhydrophobic textiles

With the development of the material engineering and textile industry, superhydrophobic textiles have been an important category of superhydrophobic materials and have increasingly attracted the attentions of researchers. In recent years, many potential applications of these products have been explored by researchers. However, industrial production of the superhydrophobic textiles is still challenging to textile scientists and engineers, especially with increased environmental and human safety regulations. In this article, recent progress in the research and development of superhydrophobic textiles is reviewed and the advantages and disadvantages of the preparation methods of superhydrophobic textiles are generalized. Potential applications of superhydrophobic textiles in industrial, medical, and civilian fields are summarized. The challenges faced in research on superhydrophobic textiles are analyzed, mainly including restrictions on the use of environmentally hazardous fluorocarbons and organic solvents, demand for durable functional stability, economic and technical limitations of textile wet processing industry. This article will provide some reference and inspiration for the design, optimization and application of superhydrophobic textiles.