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We've touched on some ideas regarding the future of clothing
already in this space, but a recent report in Popular Science got me thinking
about it all again. There's growing interest in the concept of nanotextiles,
clothing and materials that incorporate a dusting of nanoparticles for various
purposes.
 Functional clothing, this is also sometimes called, and
there are examples already on the market. Most conspicuously: swimwear with
built-in sunscreen protection, or insect-repellent shirts. (There are even some
lines of anti-microbial underwear, if you're interested.)
True nanoclothing, however, uses particles less than 100
nanometers in diameter distributed throughout the material. The new
"Glitterati" clothing line, designed by Cornell University student
Olivia Ong, is designed to make you both look good and feel good. The cotton
garments are coated with silver and palladium nanoparticles that impart a
fashionable gleam. But they also neutralize bacteria and viruses, and can even
break down harmful components of air pollution. What's more, because the
nanoparticles are so … well, nano … the material moves and feels just like
regular cotton. In fact, the active particles are about one thousandth the
thickness of the cotton fibers themselves.
Ong worked with the University's fiber science department to
create the material, literally dipping positively charged cotton fabric in a
solution containing negatively charged metal ions. The ions also repel dirt,
making the material less susceptible to stains. Colored particles ingrained in
the garment don't fade like dyes, either. So what's not to like?
Well, the $10,000 cost for base materials, for one thing.
Also, some people are disproportionately nervous about any kind of nanotechnology.
These are just wee little ions, though, not the self-replicating microdroids hyped
in breathless media reports and bad science fiction. There's no cause for
alarm. As regular readers already know, I have several colonies of nanobots
tucked away in my frontal lobes, the result of some elective surgery back in
2002. We get along just fine, although we don't agree on movies at all. They
always want to rent Adam Sandler movies, for some reason. Highly irritating.
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