Fuente: Journal of applied polymer Lugar: RESEARCH ARTICLE RF magnetron sputtering of ITO onto AM-PDMS modified cotton fabrics enables strong fiber-film adhesion, producing durable low-emissivity textiles with infrared stealth and multifunctional properties.


ABSTRACT
Indium tin oxide (ITO) is widely used in optoelectronics for its excellent conductivity and high infrared reflectivity. Depositing ITO on fibers enables multifunctional wearable textiles with infrared stealth and thermal insulation properties. Here, ITO was deposited onto cotton fabrics via radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. To address the issue of ineffective bonding between ITO films and cotton substrates, amino-modified polydimethylsiloxane (AM-PDMS) was employed as a pretreatment agent to activate the cotton surface. This interfacial strategy effectively facilitated the fiber-film interaction, enabling the first fabrication of cotton textiles with low emissivity and durable infrared stealth performance under domestic washing. The approach successfully resolved the issue of poor interfacial adhesion between ITO films and cotton. The resulting ITO/AM-PDMS/cotton composite exhibited an emissivity of 0.46, significantly lower than that of untreated cotton fabric (0.85). After 12 times household laundering cycles, the ITO/AM-PDMS/cotton fabric exhibited a slight increase in emissivity while maintaining good infrared reflectivity, demonstrating enhanced durability. Moreover, the composite retained water vapor transmission, air permeability, and hand feel of cotton, with added improvements in water repellency and UV resistance. These findings demonstrate that RF magnetron sputtering, combined with interfacial modification, offers a practical route for fabricating durable, low-emissivity cotton textiles for infrared stealth wearables.