ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Layer-by-layer self-assembled dip coating: an eco-friendly approach toward multi-functional durable textile finishing

Sana Javaid, Shafi Ur Rehman, Ahmed B. M. Ibrahim, Mohamed A. Habib, and Fawad Ahmad

Department of Chemistry, University of Wah (UW), Wah Cantt, Pakistan

E-mail: fawad.ahmad@uow.edu.pk

Received: 30 January 2025  Accepted: 15 March 2025

Abstract:

The textile industry has been undergoing rapid technological advancements, with increased emphasis on sustainability, functionalization, and performance. Layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly has emerged as a burgeoning technology in durable textile finishing, enabling the deposition of thin, conformal, and uniformed structure patterns on various substrates including textiles. This review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of LBL self-assembled technique for diverse range of applications in the realm of textile finishing. The basic principles of LBL self-assembly, including mechanisms of dip coating and factors, influence the growth and stability of multi-layers in durable textile finishing. The LBL coating is achieved by alternate dipping in polyelectrolytes, polymer nanoparticles, and biomolecules. The review gives an insight into multi-functional durable textile finishing via LBL thin-film coating includes, anti-microbial, flame-retardant, anti-UV, conductive and hydrophobic for natural and synthetic textile substrates. The ease and flexibility of LBL coating without complex instruments are a benchmark to achieve durable multi-functional finishing for textiles with improved mechanical and thermal stability. Thus, LBL self-assembled dip coating is a robust, cost-effective, and eco-friendly approach without utilizing hazardous toxic chemicals as those employed in conventional wet finishing process in textile industry.

Graphical abstract

Keywords: Coatings; Coating; Molecular Self-assembly; Self-assembly; Supramolecular Assembly; Textile Engineering; Layer-by-layer LBL dip coating; Multi-functional textile finishing; Polymeric nanoparticles; Textile coating

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-025-04022-7

Chemical Papers 79 (6) 3659–3678 (2025)