Clothing Can Patch Itself with Proteins from Squid Teeth

A team of researchers from Pennsylvania State University, Drexel University, and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory have developed a textile coating containing proteins from squid that lets scratches and tears heal themselves. Self-healing materials are highly desirable for the long-term reliability of woven or non-woven textiles. Polyelectrolyte layer-by-layer (LbL) films are of considerable interest as self-healing coatings due to the mobility of the components comprising the film. The researchers fabricated mechanically stable self-healing films through construction of a polyelectrolyte LbL film containing squid ring teeth (SRT) proteins. The mechanically stable self-healing coatings can incorporate biomolecules for more complex protective functionalities for advanced functional fabrics.

Transcript

00:00:00 like magic these swatches of cotton and wool that have been cut into pieces can repair themselves with a little bit of water and just one minute of pressure they reattach in minutes without being sewn or glued together of course this isn't Magic the key is in the coating you can't tell by looking at them but these materials are covered in layers of a polyelectrolyte film containing

00:00:20 proteins from sharp teeth that ring the suckers of squid tentacles scientists from Pennsylvania State University Drexel University and the US Naval research laboratory report their stud stud on the coding in ACS Applied Materials and interfaces the advantages of using proteins from squid ring teeth are that they are tough and elastic when either

00:00:39 wet or dry and they're naturally derived and less polluting than synthetic Plastics by fixing tears and rips the film could boost the lifetime of everyday textiles and products it could also improve the performance of military materials such as second skins which protect wearers from chemical and biological warfare agents for