A Robust, Multifunctional MOF-Derived Co@C/rGO/GPTMS-Modified Superhydrophilic Fabric Coating for High-Efficiency Electromagnetic Wave Absorption

Personal protective textiles showing high-performance electromagnetic wave absorption (EWA) along with multiple functions demonstrate considerable application prospects in daily life. Herein, a single-step, environmentally friendly, water-based fabrication strategy is developed to produce a durable and highly efficient EWA coating on PET fabrics, simultaneously integrating antibacterial, antistatic, and high-performance water/sweat-wicking properties. This multifunctional coating is realized through the synergistic interaction of its coating constituents including the incorporation of Co@C nanoparticles (NPs) derived from Co-based zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIF-67), the in situ reduction of graphene oxide (GO) facilitated by fatty acid methyl ester ethoxylate sodium sulfonate (FMES), and the 3-glycidyloxypropyl triethoxysilane (GPTMS)-mediated cross-linking. The resulting Co@C/rGO/GPTMS-coated PET fabric exhibits excellent moisture-wicking and water adsorption capacity. Benefiting from the combined effects of conduction loss, interfacial polarization loss, and a hierarchical surface structure, it demonstrates outstanding EWA performance with an RL min of −56.5 dB and EAB max covering the entire X-band. The incorporation of Co@C and rGO within the coating matrix imparts robust antibacterial and antistatic properties, achieving an antibacterial rate of over 99% against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, along with a significant reduction in static voltage to 130 V and a short half-life of merely 0.01 s.