Can Nanotechnology be fashionable? Merging Fiber Science & Apparel Design

Talk by Juan P Hinestroza, Ph.D., Cornell University
http://nanotextiles.human.cornell.edu
in the class Fashionable Technology: Science, http://ft.parsons.edu/science

The talk kicks-off the Research Cluster: The Body as Metaphor: ft.parsons.edu/body.

Open to all faculty and students of TNS.

When: Tuesday, February 26, 2013 @ 12:30PM
Where: Room 1200, 6 E 16th Street

A fashion designer may often considers textiles as works of art, meant for purely aesthetic value. A fiber scientist, on the other hand, sees textiles as workable media, with large available surface area, and the potential to be more than just pleasing to the eye. Manipulation of nanoscale phenomena to create synergies between natural fibers and nanomoieties could offer a solution for this apparent dichotomy by creating functionality while preserving appearance and comfort. Potential uses include clothing with improved water transport management and breathability, protection against hazardous gases as well as flexible electronics and wearable computing platforms.

In this lecture, Professor Hinestroza will present several cases in which his laboratory used nanoparticles, nanolayers, and nanostructures to create novel functionalities on the surface of fabrics. The functionalities varied from conducting electricity, trapping dangerous gases, killing large numbers of bacteria and creating color without the use of dyes or pigments among others. Professor Hinestroza and his research team worked with fashion designers at Cornell University to take advantage of these novel functionalities and create fashionable technical apparel.