Cornell fiber science team developing gas-trapping fabric for soldiers, responders
Military-inspired mask, hooded shirts created by Cornell Fashion Collective student designer
Story content courtesy of Cornell University Press Office, US
A new fabric that can selectively trap gases is being developed at Cornell University, in a breakthrough that promises to help protect soldiers and first responders from exposure to toxic chemicals.
The garments use metal organic framework molecules (MOFs) and cellulose fibers that were assembled in Fiber Science Professor Juan Hinestroza’s lab to create the special cloth.
Fiber Science postdoctoral researcher Marcia Da Silva Pinto first created MOF fabrics in Hinestroza’s lab, working in collaboration with chemists from Professor Omar Yaghi’s group at the University of California-Los Angeles. Hinestroza said Yaghi is one of the pioneers and leaders of MOF chemistry. Jennifer Keane, a senior in fiber science and apparel design senior in Cornell’s College of Human Ecology, worked with Hinestroza and Da Silva Pinto to create a gas-absorbing hood and mask.
Some of the basic science behind this project was funded by the U.S. Department of Defense.
