2025 AIChE Annual Meeting

Green Synthesis of Cobalt Hydroxide Coatings on Polycotton Fabrics

The growing volume of textile waste, particularly from polycotton blends, poses significant challenges due to difficulties in conventional recycling and but also presents opportunities for upcycling through the adherence of metal oxide particles. This study presents a facile method for synthesizing cobalt hydroxide (Co(OH)₂) on polycotton fabric through a two-step process involving sodium hydroxide (NaOH) pretreatment followed by reaction with cobalt acetate in a water-ethanol solvent system at 80°C. The resulting β-Co(OH)₂ particles exhibited uniform coverage across both polyester and cotton strands, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The reaction mechanism was elucidated by investigating the roles of NaOH pretreatment, solvent composition, temperature, and cobalt ion interactions, to optimize for consistency of stable β-Co(OH)₂ formation. This method avoids hazardous reducing agents, offering a safer and more sustainable approach to functionalizing textile waste.