Hydrophobic modification of zein via transglutaminase-mediated alkylation to functionalize cotton textiles

In this study, transglutaminase-mediated alkylation modification of zein with octadecylamine (OA) was carried out to enhance the hydrophobicity of zein and the potential application of modified zein in the functionalization of textiles was evaluated. The reaction between OA and zein was demonstrated from the results of sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H MIR). The hydrophobicity of zein significantly increased and the secondary structure of zein slightly changed after alkylation modification. The alkylated zein imparted excellent hydrophobic function to cotton textiles with a water contact angle (WCA) value of 131.7° and the hydrophobicity was long-lasting. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed a coarse surface formed on cotton fabric due to the participation of OA. The hydrophobic functionalization of the cotton fabric with alkylated zein did not cause negative impact on the mechanical properties and air permeability of the fabric.