Development of an environmentally friendly halogen‐free phosphorus–nitrogen bond flame retardant for cotton fabrics

A novel flame retardant diethyl 4‐methylpiperazin‐1‐ylphosphoramidate (CN‐3) containing phosphorous and nitrogen was prepared. Its chemical structure was confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H‐, ¹³C‐, and ³¹P‐NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. Print cloth and twill fabrics were treated with CN‐3 to achieve different levels of add‐on (7–22 wt% add‐ons for print cloth and 3–18 wt% add‐ons for twill). Thermogravimetric analysis, vertical flame test, and limiting oxygen index (LOI) were performed on the treated cotton fabrics and showed promising results. When the treated print cloth and twill fabric samples were tested using the vertical flame test (ASTM D6413‐08), we observed that the ignited fabrics self‐extinguished and left behind a streak of char. Treated higher add‐ons fabrics were neither consumed by flame nor produced glowing ambers upon self‐extinguishing. LOI (ASTM 2863–09) was used to determine the effectiveness of the flame retardant on the treated fabrics. LOI values increased from 18 vol% oxygen in nitrogen for untreated print cloth and twill fabrics to maximum of 28 and 31 wt% for the highest add‐ons of print cloth and twill, respectively. The results from cotton fabrics treated with CN‐3 demonstrated a higher LOI value as well as a higher char yield because of the effectiveness of phosphorus and nitrogen as a flame retardant for cotton fabrics. Furthermore, FT‐IR and SEM were used to characterize the chemical structure on the treated fabrics as well as the surface morphology of char areas of treated and untreated fabrics. Published 2012. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.     

Synthesis and characterization of a novel phosphorus–nitrogen‐containing flame retardant and its application for textile

The economic and environmentally friendly flame‐retardant compound, tetramethyl (6‐chloro‐1,3,5‐triazine‐2,4‐diyl)bis(oxy)bis(methylene) diphosphonate ( CN‐1 ), was synthesized by a simple two‐step procedure from dimethyl phosphate, and its chemical structure was characterized by ¹H, ¹³C, and ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance and gas chromatography mass spectroscopy. Using the traditional pad–dry–cure method, we obtained several different add‐ons (wt%) by treating cotton twill fabric with flame retardant ( CN‐1 ). Thermogravimetric analysis, in an air and nitrogen atmosphere, of the modified cotton showed that decomposition occurred ~230°C with 16% residue weight char yield at 600°C, indicating high thermal stability for all treated levels. Limiting oxygen index (LOI) and the vertical flammability test were employed to determine the effectiveness of the flame‐retardant treatments on the fabrics. LOI values increased from ~18 vol% oxygen in nitrogen for untreated fabric to maximum of 34 vol% for the highest treatment level. Fabrics with higher levels of flame retardant also easily passed the vertical flammability test. Furthermore, Fourier transform infrared and scanning electron microscopy were utilized to characterize the chemical structure as well as the surface morphology of the flame‐retardant treated twill fabrics, including char area and the edge between unburned fabric and char area. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Epoxy phosphonate crosslinkers for providing flame resistance to cotton textiles

Two new monomers (2‐methyl‐oxiranylmethyl)‐phosphonic acid dimethyl ester ( 3 ) and [2‐(dimethoxy‐phosphorylmethyl)‐oxyranylmethyl]‐phosphonic acid dimethyl ester ( 6 ) were prepared and used with dicyandiamide ( 7 ) and citric acid ( 8 ) to impart flame resistance to cotton plain weave, twill, and 80:20‐cotton/polyester fleece fabrics. Monomers 3 and 6 were prepared from methallyl chloride ( 1 ) and 3‐chloro‐2‐chloromethylpropene ( 4 ) respectively via a two‐step phosphorylation epoxidation sequence in 79.3 and 67.5% overall yields. ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and gas chromatographic mass spectrometry (GCMS) data were used to confirm their structures. Decomposition of monomers 3 and 6 in nitrogen by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) occurred at 110 and 220°C, respectively. The mixtures of 3 : 7 : 8 and 6 : 7 : 8 (in 2:1:1 ratio) exhibited peak‐curing temperatures by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) at 125 and 150°C and the temperatures were deemed suitable for curing treated fabrics without marring them. Flame‐retardant treatments were applied by the pad‐dry‐cure methods. All untreated fabrics showed limiting oxygen index (LOI) values of about 18% oxygen in nitrogen. For formulations with monomer 3 , LOI values for the three types of treated fabrics were greater than 25.5% when add‐on values for the formulation were 17.4, 12.7, and 21.1%. For formulations comprising monomer 6 , LOI values were greater than 28.6% when add‐on values for the formulation were 18.3, 13.1, and 16.7%. With the formulation comprising monomer 3 , the three fabrics passed the vertical flame test when add‐on values were 21.6, 12.7, and 23.5%, respectively; and with the formulation comprising monomer 6 , they passed the vertical flame test when add‐on values were 13.8, 8.4, and 18.0%. In all cases char lengths of fabrics that passed the vertical flame test were less than 50% of original length and after‐flame time was 0 sec and after‐glow time was less than 2 sec. Published in 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thermogravimetric Studies of Deposited Potash Impregnated for Flame-Retardancy into a Cotton Fabric

The effect of potash as a nondurable finish on the flammability of 100% cotton fabric （plain 180 g/m^2） was investigated. The bone-drled weighed fabrics were dipped into suitable concentrations of potash, with a volume of 100 mL at 20-2℃. The impregnation was followed by means of squeeze rolls and drying at 110 ℃. The samples were then reweighed with analytical precision. After conditioning overnight by using our ＂vertical flame tester＂ the optimum add-on values to impart flame-retardancy to cotton fabric was determined and expressed by 0.80 g of potash per 100 g fabric to be an efficient addition. Thermogravimetric analysis of pure cotton, treated cotton with potash at its optimum efficiency for donation of flame-retardancy into cotton fabric was fulfilled and the thermograms were compared and commented. The effectiveness of this hydroxide was attributed to the heat dissipation by the remaining consumed material during the combustion. The results obtained are in favor of ＂Dust or Wall Effect Theory＂.     

Preparation and characterization of flame‐retardant lamellar Mg(OH)2 thin films on citric acid‐treated cotton fabrics

Preparation and characterization of lamellar magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)₂) thin films on cotton fabrics are reported in this paper. Mercerized cotton fabrics were treated with citric acid, so carboxyl groups were introduced to the surface of the fabrics. Mg(OH)₂ seeds were first adsorbed on the citric acid‐treated cotton fabrics and then Mg(OH)₂ thin films grew on the fabric through secondary growth method. Kinetics and isotherm studies found that the adsorption of Mg(OH)₂ seeds on citric acid‐treated cotton fabrics followed pseudo second‐order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm. This indicated that Mg(OH)₂ seeds adsorption was monolayer chemical adsorption driven by electric attraction between positively charged Mg(OH)₂ seeds and ? COO^? ions on the cotton fiber surface. The X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and SEM characterizations of the Mg(OH)₂ thin films covered cotton fabrics found that standing flaky Mg(OH)₂ crystals formed a shell of porous but continuous network on cotton fabric surface. Owing to the Mg(OH)₂ thin film covering, the fabric had fireproof property, lower thermal conductivity and higher optical absorbance in the UV, Vis and IR regions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation of antibacterial cellulose with a monochloro‐s‐triazine‐based N‐halamine biocide

A novel monochloro‐s‐triazine‐based N‐halamine precursor, 4‐(4‐(5,5‐dimethylhydantoin‐3‐ethylamino)‐6‐chloro‐1,3,5‐triazinylamino)‐benzenesulfonate (HB), was synthesized and characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance. The reactive dyes dyeing method was applied to bond HB onto cotton fabrics, and the treated fabrics were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and scanning electron microscope. The chlorinated HB‐treated fabrics showed excellent antibacterial efficacies against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli O157:H7 and inactivated all inoculated bacteria within 1 min of contact. Interestingly, it was found that the finishing process and following chlorination caused smaller tensile strength loss of cotton fabrics than the traditional pad‐dry‐cure method. Furthermore, the antimicrobial cotton fabrics exhibited good stability and regenerability. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Silver (I) antimicrobial cotton nonwovens and printcloth

In this paper we discuss the preparation and comparative evaluation of silver (I) [Ag(I)] nonwoven and woven antimicrobial barrier fabrics generated from commercial calcium‐sodium alginates and laboratory prepared sodium carboxymethyl (CM) cotton nonwovens and CM‐cotton printcloth for potential use as wound dressings. Degrees of CM substitution (DS) in cotton nonwoven and printcloth samples by titrimetry were 0.38 and 0.10, respectively. Coordination of Ag(I) with carboxylates on fabrics was effected by ion exchange and nitrates were removed by washing to mitigate nitrate ion toxicity issues. Durability of silver coordinated fabrics was tested by soaking them in deionized water with slight agitation at 50°C. Ag(I) alginates and nonwoven Ag(I)‐CM‐cottons lost structural integrity in water. Ag‐CM‐cotton printcloth samples retained structural integrity even after four soak‐and‐dry cycles, were smooth to the touch when dry, and were smoother when moistened. They could be easily peeled from wound surfaces without inducing trauma. Solid‐state carbon‐13 (¹³C) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry was used to observe changes in carbonyl resonances in Ag(I) alginates and Ag(I)‐CM‐printcloth, and the chemical shift positions of carbonyl resonances of uncoordinated and Ag(I) coordinated fabrics did not change. Inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) was used following fabric digestion to determine the total Ag(I) ion content in fabrics. Ag(I) alginates were found to hold about 10–50 mg Ag(I) per gram fabric; and Ag(I) cotton woven and nonwoven fabrics held about 5–10 mg Ag(I) ions per gram fabric. Kinetic release of Ag(I) after soaking once in physiological saline was studied with ICP‐MS to estimate the availability of Ag(I) upon a single exchange with Na(I) ions on wound surfaces. Alginates released between ～13 and 28% of coordinated Ag(I), and CM‐cotton nonwovens and CM‐cotton printcloth released ～14 and 3% of coordinated Ag(I) ions, respectively. Finally, Ag(I) alginates and Ag(I)‐CM‐cotton printcloth samples were evaluated against Gram‐positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram‐negative Klebsiella pneumoniae. Ag(I) alginates suppressed 99.95% of bacterial growth in vitro. Even after four soak‐and‐dry cycles in deionized water Ag(I)‐CM‐cotton printcloth suppressed 99.99% of bacterial growth in vitro. Published in 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optimization of monoguanidine dihydrogen phosphate and amino propylethoxysilane based flame retardant formulations for cotton

Different formulations based on monoguanidine dihydrogen phosphate (MGHP) and 3-amino propylethoxysilane (APS) were evaluated as flame retardant in padding for cotton. The formulations can be classified into two groups. The first corresponds to the formulations of MGHP and APS, at pH 4 (obtained by the addition of phosphoric acid) and the second group to formulations at pH 9.5. Their thermal stability is then examined using thermal analysis. TG analysis reveals a significant difference in the thermal degradation of these two groups. While the degradation is initiated at lower temperatures for all padded fabrics compared to untreated cotton, the residual amounts of char are higher at 800 °C for formulations with phosphoric acid. Flame behaviour of the treated cotton fabrics was evaluated using the electrical burner test and was studied with cone calorimeter as fire model. The RHR peak was decreased very much for all the formulations, compared to the RHR peak of the virgin cotton. The highest decrease was achieved with the formulations at pH 4. The padded fabrics evolve smallest quantity of CO₂.     

Effect of zinc oxide on flame retardant finishing of plasma pre-treated cotton fabric

An organic phosphorus compound (flame retardant agent, FR) in combination with a melamine resin (crosslinking agent, CL), phosphoric acid (catalyst, PA) and zinc oxide (co-catalyst, ZnO/nano-ZnO) imparted effective and durable flame retardant properties. Also, atmospheric pressure plasma jet was applied as pre-treatment to improve post-finishing (flame retardant finishing) on cotton fabrics. In the present paper, surface morphology, chemical structure analysis, combustibility and mechanical properties of plasma pre-treated cotton fabrics subjected to flame-retardant treatment were investigated. Surface morphology of treated cotton specimens showed roughened and wrinkled fabric surface with high deposition of the flame retardant finishing agent, which was caused by the plasma etching effect and attack of acidic FR. The FTIR-ATR spectra for the treated cotton specimens showed some new characteristic peaks in chemical structure, interpreted as carbonyl bands, OH stretching vibration, COO⁻ stretching vibration, CH₂ rocking band and CH₃ asymmetric and CH₂ symmetric stretching. Moreover, FR-CL-PA-treated specimens showed remarkable flame-retardant property, which was further improved by the plasma pre-treatment and ZnO/nano-ZnO co-catalyst. However, flame-retardant-treated cotton specimens had poor mechanical strength when compared with control sample, resulting from side effects of the crosslinking agent used, while plasma pre-treatment and ZnO/nano-ZnO co-catalyst may compensate for the reduction in tensile and tearing strength caused by flame-retardant agents.     

A simple method for determining the total amount of physically and chemically bound water of different cements

A novel environmentally friendly flame-retardant compound, diethyl 3-(triethoxysilanepropyl) phosphoramidate (DTP) was synthesized via a simple one-step procedure with good yield and characterized by FT-IR and ¹H-NMR, ³¹P-NMR and ²⁹Si-NMR. The synthesized compound was coated onto cotton fabrics with different levels of add-ons (5–17 mass%) using the traditional pad-dry-cure method. SEM and XPS were conducted to characterize the surfaces of the coated cotton fabrics. The XPS results showed that DTP was attached to cotton through covalent bond. Cone calorimeter test showed that the cotton fabric treated with DTP became less flammable due to the lower HRR, THR and CO₂/CO ratio. The modified cotton fabrics exhibited efficient flame retardancy, which was evidenced by limiting oxygen index (LOI) and vertical flammability test. Cotton fabrics treated with DTP in 5–17 mass% add-ons had high LOI values of 23–32%. Thermogravimetric analysis results show that the usage of DTP promotes degradation of the cotton fabrics and catalyzes its char formation.     

Biocompatible antimicrobial cotton modified with tricarbimide‐based N‐halamine

Two N‐halamine precursors, 1‐glycidyl‐s‐triazine‐2,4,6‐trione and 1‐(2,3‐dihydroxypropyl)‐s‐triazine‐2,4,6‐trione, were synthesized and tethered onto cotton fabrics via the crosslinking agent 1,2,3,4‐butanetetracarboxylic acid. The modified samples were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The modified fabrics were rendered biocidal activities upon exposure to dilute hypochlorite solutions. The chlorinated cotton swatches were challenged with Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538) and Escherichia coli O157:H7 (ATCC 43895) and exhibited excellent biocidal efficacy. The stability and rechargeability of the modified samples during washing and ultraviolet irradiation were also investigated. In vitro cell cytocompatibility studies demonstrated that the antibacterial cotton has good biocompatibility. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Antimicrobial activity of hydrophobic cotton coated with N‐halamine

γ‐(β‐Hydroxy‐γ‐5,5‐dimethylhydatoin)‐propyltriethoxysilane, a N‐halamine precursor, was synthesized with 3‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane and 3‐glycidyl‐5,5‐dimethylhydantoin. The N‐halamine precursor was tethered to the cotton fabric through ether linkages. The treated fabrics can be rendered excellent antimicrobial activity through a bleaching process. It can inactivate 100% of the Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli O157:H7 with a contact time of 10 min and 30 min, respectively. Over 30% of the chlorine could be regained after the equivalent of 50 machine washes and rechlorination. The coatings resulted in a significant increase of hydrophobicity of cotton samples. In addition, the wrinkle recovery angle of the treated fabrics increased to some degree. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of UV Protection Properties of Cotton Fabrics Treated with Aqueous and Methanolic Extracts of Achyranthes aspera and Alhagi maurorum Plants

UV radiations are high‐energy radiations present in sunlight that can damage human skin. Protection against these radiations becomes vital especially in those areas of the globe where UV index is quite high that makes the inhabitants more prone to dangerous effects of UV radiations. Clothing materials are good blockers of UV radiations, particularly when the fabric cover factor is high and/or the fabrics contain suitable UV‐blocking finishes. In this study, effect of application of aqueous and methanolic extracts of two different plants, i.e., Achyranthes aspera and Alhagi maurorum on UV protection properties of cotton fabric was investigated. The results showed that the fabric samples treated with extracts of both the plants have excellent UV protection properties as indicated by their ultraviolet protection factor. It was concluded that both the aqueous and methanolic plant extracts are very effective in blocking UVA and UVB radiations, when applied on cotton fabrics. The UV protection performance of Achyranthes aspera extracts was much better as compared to that of Alhagi maurorum, and methanolic extracts of both the plants outperformed the aqueous extracts in terms of UV protection.     

Effect of hybrid phosphorus-doped silica thin films produced by sol-gel method on the thermal behavior of cotton fabrics

The aim of this work was to prepare hybrid organic-inorganic silica thin films to provide cotton fabrics with flame retardant properties and to investigate the films’ influence on the thermal and burning behavior of the treated samples. The fabrics were modified with three different sols in order to study the effect of pure silica sol-gel precursor, γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES), and that of the hybrid sols consisting of the APTES and the phosphorus compound diethylphosphite. Furthermore, in order to improve the cross-linking degree and the phosphorus-nitrogen synergistic effect on flame retardancy of the P-doped silica thin film the melamine-based resin was added in the third sol. To evaluate the chemical structure of the coating material, pure xerogels of the treatment solutions were applied to glass slides and tested by ATR FT-IR spectroscopy. The cotton fabrics were impregnated with the sols by a padding-squeezing process and then dried. Thermal behavior of the treated cotton samples was investigated by thermogravimetric/differential scanning calorimetry analysis (TGA-DTG/DSC) and compared to the untreated one. The flame retardancy was tested according to the ASTM D 1230 standard method. The results showed a substantial enhancement of char-forming properties and flame retardancy for the fabrics modified with the thin films.     

The antimicrobial activity of the cotton fabric grafted with an amino-terminated hyperbranched polymer

An amino-terminated hyperbranched polymer (HBP-NH₂) was grafted to cotton fabric by a reaction between the aldehyde groups of oxidized cotton fabric and the amino groups of the HBP-NH₂ to provide cotton fabric with durable antimicrobial properties. The antimicrobial activities of the HBP-NH₂ aqueous solutions and the HBP-NH₂ grafted cotton fabrics were evaluated quantitatively against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). The results indicated that the HBP-NH₂ grafted cotton fabric showed 92% of bacterial reduction to S. aureus and 95% of bacterial reduction to E. coli, respectively. The antimicrobial activities of the HBP-NH₂ grafted cotton fabrics were maintained at over 91% reduction level even after being exposed to 20 consecutive home laundering conditions. Several influence factors, which may affect the amount of HBP-NH₂ grafted onto the cotton fabrics, were also discussed.     

Preparation and properties of low-cost cotton nanocomposite fabrics with in situ-generated copper nanoparticles by simple hydrothermal method

In this work, copper nanoparticles were in situ generated in cotton fabrics by simple hydrothermal method. These low-cost nanocomposite fabrics were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and antibacterial tests. The presence of spherical nanoparticles was visualized by SEM analysis. FTIR spectra did not show any differences between the peak positions of cotton fabrics and their nanocomposites. The crystallinity of cotton nanocomposites was enhanced by the copper nanoparticles. The cotton nanocomposite fabrics exhibited good antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli bacteria and hence can be considered for medical applications such as wound dressing, surgical aprons, hospital bed materials, etc.     

New characterization of layer-by-layer self-assembly deposition of polyelectrolytes on cotton fabric

Layer-by-layer self-assembly deposition of polyelectrolytes on textile materials might provide a new approach to endue different functions to textiles. Two simple characterization methods for electrostatic self-assembly deposition of two typical polyelectrolytes, poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) on cotton fabrics were investigated in this paper. Dyeing of the PSS/PDDA assembled cotton fabrics with anionic Direct Red 80 and cationic Methylene Blue shows regular and observable “odd–even” oscillations in terms of color depth (K/S value), which could be utilized for the assessment of the variation of surface electric property of the cotton substrate due to the alternate fabrication of PSS and PDDA on it. A linear increase in UV absorbance at 226 and 261 nm of treated cotton fabrics further revealed that the growth of these layer-by-layer multilayers could be recorded by monitoring UV spectra of assembled cotton specimens. ATR FT-IR spectra did not show any identifiable differences between cotton substrates with and without deposition of PSS/PDDA multilayers.     

Layer-by-layer assembled thin films based on fully biobased polysaccharides: chitosan and phosphorylated cellulose for flame-retardant cotton fabric

Polyelectrolytes multilayer (PEM) films based on fully biobased polysaccharides, chitosan and phosphorylated cellulose (PCL) were deposited on the surface of cotton fabric by the layer-by-layer assembly method. Altering the concentration of PCL could modify the final loading on the surface of cotton fabrics. A higher PCL concentration (2 wt%) could result in more loading. Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis directly showed that chitosan and PCL were successfully deposited onto the surface of cotton fabric. In the vertical flame test, the cotton fabric with 20 bilayers at the higher PCL concentration (2 wt%) could extinguish the flame. Microcombustion calorimetry results showed that all coated cotton fabrics reduced the peak heat release rate (HRR) and total heat release (THR) relative to the pure one, especially for (CH0.5/PCL2)₂₀, which showed the greatest reduction in peak HRR and THR. Thermogravimetric analysis results showed that the char residue at temperatures ranging from 400 to 700 °C was enhanced compared to that in the pure cotton fabric, especially in the case of higher PCL concentration (2 wt%). The work first provided a PEM film based on fully biobased polysaccharide, chitosan and PCL on cotton fabric to enhance its flame retardancy and thermal stability via the layer-by-layer assembly method.     

Enhanced thermal and combustion resistance of cotton linked to natural inorganic salt components

A comparison of the thermal decomposition and combustion characteristics of raw and scoured cottons has demonstrated a mechanistic link caused by the presence of inorganic salts in raw cotton, which enhances resistance to heat and flame. Thermogravimetry, differential thermogravimetry, and microscale combustion calorimetry were used to examine the thermal decomposition kinetics and thermal stability of cotton. During pyrolysis, both raw cotton nonwoven and woven fabrics exhibited a slower decomposition with a larger initial weight loss and produced a greater char yield, as compared to the fabrics after scouring, which removes most inorganic components from cotton. The activation energy (E _a ) values, calculated using the Kissinger method, the Flynn–Wall–Ozawa method, and the modified Coats–Redfern method, were consistently determined to be smaller for raw cotton than for scoured cotton. The analyses of cotton fabrics heated at elevated temperatures by ¹³C CP/MAS NMR and ATR-FTIR showed that trace quantities of inorganic components promoted the formations of oxygenated moieties at low temperatures and aliphatic intermediate char. In the combustion, raw cotton exhibited a much smaller heat release capacity and a smaller total heat release than scoured cotton, indicating enhanced thermal stability when the inorganic components are intact.     

Statistically disordered short hydrogen bonds in (pipzH2)(cdoH)2 and a comparison with (pipzH2)(cdo)·H2O (pipz is piperazine and cdoH2 is chelidonic acid)

Two related proton‐transfer compounds, namely piperazine‐1,4‐diium 4‐oxo‐4H‐pyran‐2,6‐dicarboxylate monohydrate, C₄H₁₂N₂²⁺·C₇H₂O₆²⁻·H₂O or (pipzH₂)(cdo)·H₂O, (I), and piperazine‐1,4‐diium bis(6‐carboxy‐4‐oxo‐4H‐pyran‐2‐carboxylate), C₄H₁₂N₂²⁺·2C₇H₃O₆⁻ or (pipzH₂)(cdoH)₂, (II), were obtained by the reaction of 4‐oxo‐4H‐pyran‐2,6‐dicarboxylic acid (chelidonic acid, cdoH₂) and piperazine (pipz). In (I), both carboxyl H atoms of chelidonic acid have been transferred to piperazine to form the piperazine‐1,4‐diium ion. The structure is a monohydrate. All potential N—H donors are involved in N—H...O hydrogen bonds. The water molecule spans two anions via the 4‐oxo group of the pyranose ring and a carboxylate O atom. The hydrogen‐bonding motif is essentially two‐dimensional. The structure is a pseudomerohedral twin. In the asymmetric unit of (II), the anion consists of monodeprotonated chelidonic acid, while the piperazine‐1,4‐diium cation is located on an inversion centre. The single carboxyl H atom is disordered in two respects. Firstly, the disordered H atom is shared equally by both carboxylic acid groups. Secondly, the H atom is statistically disordered between two positions on either side of a centre of symmetry and is engaged in a very short hydrogen‐bonding interaction; the relevant O...O distances are 2.4549 (11) and 2.4395 (11) Å, and the O—H...O angles are 177 (6) and 177 (5)°, respectively. Further hydrogen bonding of the type N—H...O places the (pipzH₂)²⁺ cations in pockets formed by the chains of (cdoH)⁻ anions. In contrast with (I), the (pipzH₂)²⁺ cations form hydrogen‐bonding arrays that are perpendicular to the anions, yielding a three‐dimensional hydrogen‐bonding motif. The structures of both (I) and (II) also feature π–π stacking interactions between aromatic rings.