High density growth of ZnO nanorods on cotton fabric enables access to a flame resistant composite

We report a simple method for the high-density growth of radially aligned ZnO nanorods on cotton. In this hydrothermal growth strategy, a polytetrafluoroethylene frame is used to support the flexible cotton fabric throughout the ZnO crystallization process. The resulting ZnO-cotton composite contains the highest ZnO content reported to date for such materials and was discovered to have greater resistance to open flame than unmodified cotton. Prospects in fire-resistant fabrics are discussed.