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Advances in Textile Coloration and Finishing for Sustainable and Smart Textiles

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 1414

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
Interests: eco-friendly dyes; textile dyeing process; sustainable polyurethanes; eco-friendly flame retardants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The textile industry is undergoing a major transformation in response to the global demand for sustainable practices and high-performance materials. Among the most critical areas of innovation are textile coloration and finishing processes, which traditionally involve significant use of water, energy, and chemicals. Today, researchers and industry professionals are striving to develop eco-friendly dyeing methods, reduce environmental impact, and create intelligent textiles that respond to environmental stimuli.

This Special Issue focuses on the latest advances in textile coloration and finishing technologies, particularly those contributing to sustainability and smart functionality. Key areas of interest include the synthesis of bio-based dyes, waterless or low-temperature dyeing techniques, functional finishing (e.g., antimicrobial, UV-blocking, or self-cleaning properties), and integration of responsive features such as thermochromism, conductivity, or sensor functions.

By bringing together interdisciplinary research in chemistry, materials science, and textile engineering, this Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive view of the current developments and future directions. We welcome contributions that address innovative materials, novel processing methods, performance evaluations, and environmental assessments. Through this collection, we hope to foster collaboration and accelerate progress toward greener, smarter, and more efficient textile technologies.

Prof. Dr. Joonseok Koh
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable dyeing
  • eco-friendly dyes
  • functional finishing
  • smart textiles
  • green finishing processes

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

22 pages, 3804 KB  
Article
Low-Temperature Dyeing of Chemically Modified PET/Spandex Blends: A Sustainable Approach for Enhanced Dyeability and Color Fastness
by Md Morshedur Rahman, Nazrul Hsan, Ingi Hong, Shekh Md Mamun Kabir, Seunga Choi, Youngdae Kim, Soohyun Kim and Joonseok Koh
Molecules 2025, 30(17), 3578; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30173578 - 1 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1161
Abstract
Blends of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) with spandex are widely used in sportswear and outdoor apparel. However, dyeing PET/spandex fabrics remains challenging due to the high energy required at elevated dyeing temperatures and persistent problems with poor color fastness caused by dye staining on [...] Read more.
Blends of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) with spandex are widely used in sportswear and outdoor apparel. However, dyeing PET/spandex fabrics remains challenging due to the high energy required at elevated dyeing temperatures and persistent problems with poor color fastness caused by dye staining on the spandex component. In this study, we investigated the dyeing behavior of a chemically modified poly(ethylene terephthalate-co-polyethylene glycol) (PCP) blended with spandex and compared it with conventional PET/spandex blends. The PCP/spandex fabrics exhibited significantly improved dyeability, showing higher dyebath exhaustion and greater color strength than PET/spandex blends, particularly at sub-conventional dyeing temperatures. The optimal dyeing condition for PCP/spandex blends was identified as 110 °C for 60 min, which provided a balance between enhanced dye uptake and minimized spandex staining. Moreover, PCP/spandex fabrics demonstrated improved color fastness at lower dyeing temperatures (110–120 °C), primarily due to the reduced staining tendency of the spandex component when blended with PCP fibers. This reduction in spandex staining minimized dye migration during washing. Overall, these findings suggest that PCP/spandex blends offer a promising, energy-efficient alternative to conventional PET/spandex fabrics. They enable effective dyeing at lower temperatures while achieving improved color fastness, thereby addressing key challenges in the dyeing of elastic fiber blends. Full article
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