Saving lives, one piece of fashion-conscious clothing at a time. That’s what may be in store for a line of clothing infused with nanoparticles that can counteract dangerous biological and chemical agents. The nanoparticle clothing would destroy viruses such as cold and flu bugs, and scrub pollutants from the air according to Dr Juan Hinestroza, a chemical engineer at Cornell University. According to its creators, clothes made from such a fabric would be particularly useful for allergy sufferers and anyone living in an area with high air pollution. Hinestroza, has also met with US Army chiefs to discuss the military potential of the clothes.Some of the clothing ideas came from Olivia Ong, a fashion student, who wanted to create something that would deal with smog so she teamed up with Hinestroza’s group at Cornell. The clothes' protective qualities are due to microscopic metal particles, made form a process called electrospinning, that cling to the cotton fabric and destroy harmful particles in the air on contact, according to an article on Cornell’s Website. Silver, copper and palladium work very well. None of this comes without a cost however. According to an article in the UK’s Telegraph a square yard of the cotton would cost about $10,000. The range only comes in yellow, purple, brown or black because the size of the nanoparticle determines the color, the article states. According to the Cornell Website the applications of nanotechnology in creating novel fibers in the future include:• supersensitive biofilters made of fibers capable of filtering outviruses, bacteria, and hazardous particles.• nanolayers applied to natural fibers and then made into protectiveclothing for firefighters, emergency responders, and militarypersonnel that selectively blocks hazardous gases and minusculecontaminants but allows air and moisture to flow through.• lightweight smart textiles for hikers, athletes, and environmentallysensitive individuals.• fibers that control the movement of medicine to administer timereleasedantibacterial and antiallergenic compounds; for examplegloves that deliver arthritis medicine or antibacterial sheets inhospitals.• magnetic nanoparticles embedded inside a garment or paperdocument to create a unique signature that can be scanned todetect counterfeit currency or fake passports.• sensors that could swab a food or surgical preparation surface toimmediately detect the presence of hazardous bacteria;• biodegradable fibers saturated with time-released pesticides thatcould be planted with seeds as an alternative to spraying pesticides.• doilies, seat cushions, or wall hangings used in airplanes that wouldcontinually absorb particles or gases or other airborne biohazards.
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