State of the art and perspectives on sol-gel derived hybrid architectures for flame retardancy of textiles

Very recently, the exploitation of oxidic networks derived from sol-gel processes for the surface modification of natural and/or synthetic fibres/fabrics has been successfully assessed, giving rise to novel “green” flame retardant systems. Indeed, inorganic, doped and hybrid organic-inorganic architectures can significantly improve the thermal stability and flame retardancy of the treated textile substrates, notwithstanding their functional (i.e. antimicrobial, self-cleaning, UV-protection, …) features. The present paper aims to describe the state of the art, the current academic efforts and the perspectives on the use of sol-gel derived hybrid architectures as effective flame retardant systems.