Scientists at the Royal University of Technology of Melbourne (RMIT) have developed a material capable of self-cleaning. The authors of the work proposed an inexpensive and effective technology for creating special nanostructures that destroy organic matter under the influence of light. The results of the study can be found in the journal Advanced Materials Interfaces and briefly reported by RNS.
The idea of the scientists was to create a material that can clean itself of dirt and stains on its own. This was achieved by impregnating the fabric with special nanostructures. In this case, it is enough to place the cloth under a lamp or in the sun for the nanostructures to start cleaning.
"The advantage of textiles is that it already has a three-dimensional structure, so it perfectly absorbs light, which, in turn, accelerates the decomposition of organic substances," the authors of the work note. The scientists used nanostructures based on copper and silver, known for their ability to absorb visible light. Under the influence of sunlight, nanostructures receive an energy charge that creates hot electrons. They, in turn, release energy, which allows nanostructures to decompose organic matter.
According to the scientists, a particular challenge was how to create nanostructures on an industrial scale and integrate them into textiles. As part of the experiment, the authors of the work managed to grow nanostructures directly in textiles. Some fabrics took less than six minutes to clear the stains when exposed to light.
“There is still a lot to be done before we start throwing away our washing machines, but our achievement lays a solid foundation for the future of fully self-cleaning textiles,” the researchers emphasize. In the next step, the scientists plan to use nanostructures in materials that are in consumer demand and find out how quickly they will clear of wine or tomato sauce stains.