Researchers have created a fabric material containing nanoscale fibers that are capable of degrading chemical warfare agents (CWAs).

Scientists from North Carolina State University (NCSU), RTI International and the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center synthesized uniform coatings of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) on top of the nanofibers to form unique "kebab-like" structures. These MOFs break down the CWAs, rendering them harmless, according to the researchers.

The researchers wanted to determine if they could grow MOFs as functional coatings onto fibers to be used in masks, filters and protective garments. Image credit: NCSU. “Current technologies for addressing CWAs rely on carbon-based materials. But these carbon materials can only adsorb hazardous compounds; they can’t degrade them,” says Junjie Zhao, a former Ph.D. student at NCSU and lead author of a paper on the work.

While previous research had found MOFs to be effective at degrading CWAs, these materials normally come in the form of a powder. The researchers wanted to determine if they could grow MOFs as functional coatings onto fibers so that they could be used in masks, filters and protective garments.

They began by depositing a thin film of titanium oxide onto a fabric made of nanoscale fibers using a vapor-phase technology called atomic layer deposition. The titanium oxide serves as a nucleation layer, which enables the application of various zirconium-based MOFs onto the nanofibers in an evenly distributed way.

The researchers then tested the MOF-functionalized fabric against both a CWA simulant and the nerve agent soman. They found that, when exposed to the nano-kebab fabric, the half-life of the CWA simulant was as brief as 7.3 minutes. The half-life of the soman was as short as 2.3 minutes.

The next steps include integration of the MOF-nanofiber kebab structures into currently fielded garment and suit materials and evaluating the durability of the materials under various conditions. Currently, field chemical suits are heavy, and wearing them requires significant energy of the soldier.

If the MOF-coated nanofibers can be integrated into outer layers of the chemical suit, inner layers of the suit could be removed. Ultimately, this may translate to a suit that potentially behaves and feels more like a piece of athletic wear than "a garbage bag," according to the researchers.