SBIR Phase II: Safe Long-Lasting Bio-Based Insect-Repellent Textiles

The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is the development of safer, insect-repellent textiles for protection from biting insects such as mosquitoes and biting flies. Currently available commercial textiles rely on synthetic active repellents that raise concerns about potential toxicity and long-term safety. This project will introduce bio-based, non-toxic repellents into textiles that can be used in outdoor clothing and offer a solution that aligns with growing regulatory demand for products that are environmentally benign and not harmful from health perspective. If successful, this innovation could help reduce reliance on synthetic insect repellents, improve public health by lowering exposure to vector-borne diseases, and create new economic opportunities in the growing market for safer textile technologies. The project supports national interests by promoting more sustainable domestic manufacturing of insect repelling fabrics. This project will investigate a high-risk technical challenge: incorporating high concentrations of volatile, bio-based insect repellents into textile coatings in a way that preserves long-term efficacy and wash durability. The primary innovation lies in the chemical derivatization and formulation strategies that enable natural repellents to be integrated into textiles. This work addresses a major technical barrier - the incompatibility of the key active ingredients with common textile coating and impregnating systems. The project will explore the synthesis of derivatized repellent compounds and their incorporation into polymeric coatings suitable for fabric finishing. The technical approach includes synthesizing a range of derivatives from bio-based repellents for better chemical compatibility with textile binders, formulating them into stable coatings and impregnation systems and assessing the repellency performance and wash resistance of treated fabrics. Repellency will be tested on biting insects before and after laundering to measure the retention of activity. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.