Advanced Self-Assembly Method to Fabricate Novel Nanostructured Fabric Coatings for Diver Protection from Water Contaminants

NanoSonic proposes to develop a novel nanostructured fabric coating method to fabricate a full protection system for divers towards water contaminants. Specifically, the nano-skin protection system would be lightweight, flexible/non-restrictive (for diver mobility), durable (will not degrade with saltwater environment, UV exposure, or with chemical/contamination exposure), and comfortable. A novel, hydrophobic (water/chemical-repellant), and synthetic fluorinated polymer fabric coating that is impregnated with functional materials (for thermal insulation and antimicrobial properties) will be developed. Next a nanostructured hydrophilic fiber coating (to wick moisture/sweat) would be applied to the inner exposed fabric surface using NanoSonic’s molecular-level self-assembly process. The low mass-density and highly functional wicking coating would be built-up or “grown” onto new/existing fabrics in a layer-by-layer fashion using specialty molecular-level solutions of nanoparticles and polymers that are made in-house. NanoSonic specializes in the development of innovative, highly-functional nanostructured and polymeric coatings for fabrics, such as Metal Rubber™-Textiles (highly-electrically-conductive and robust nanostructured fabrics). Scientists would directly build upon this unique technology to: 1) fabricate the precursor nanoclusters and polymer materials, 2) combine the precursor materials and build them up in the appropriate molecular-level architecture onto the fabric, and 3) analyze and optimize the fabric coating for diver protection in contaminated waters.