Synthesis of Phosphorylated Graphene Oxide Based Multilayer Coating: Self-Assembly Method and Application for Improving the Fire Safety of Cotton Fabrics

Phosphorylated graphene oxides (PGO) were synthesized by a one-pot method and fabricated on the surface of cotton fabrics for the improvement of fire safety. The chemical structure of PGO was characterized by FTIR and XPS. SEM images of the pure and coated cotton fabrics indicated that PGO had better compatibility with water than GO and was more beneficial for self-assembly fabrication than GO. Vertical flame test and cone calorimeter test revealed that flame retardancy of cotton fabrics was obviously improved by PGO based multilayer coating. The plausible flame retardancy mechanism was proposed: PGO with large layered structures could effectively insulate the permeation of oxygen and volatile flammable gases, thereby decreasing the heat release rate; on the other hand, the presence of phosphorus could play an important role in the catalytic charring effect during combustion, which significantly promoted the formation of char residue and then further prevented the permeation of oxygen and pyrolysis products.