''Smart'' Textiles integrating Peptide Nanostructures

Summary of the technology

Textiles that have been modified by integrating peptide nanostructures show remarkable properties. These include the physical and chemical properties of the fabric, such as strength and fire-resistance, as well as much more advanced properties including enzymatic activities such as self-cleaning and hazardous materials-decontamination.
Project ID : 3-2009-27

Details of the Technology Offer

The Technology
Textiles that have been modified by integrating peptide nanostructures show remarkable properties. These include the physical and chemical properties of the fabric, such as strength and fire-resistance, as well as much more advanced properties including enzymatic activities such as self-cleaning and hazardous materials-decontamination.

Potential applications

Smart textiles have many applications. Among them are self-cleaning fabrics, increased fire resistant clothes, and bulletproof garments. Other applications include triggered release fabrics to counteract chemicals and the possibility of dynamically changing camouflage.Advantages
We have developed a unique and novel family of peptide nanostructures that are based on aromatic homo-dipeptides. This includes peptide nanotubes, nanospheres, and hydrogels with nano-scale order. It was also demonstrated that these peptide nanotubes could serve as a mold for the fabrication of metals and building blocks of novel electrochemical platform. Furthermore, the peptide tubes were demonstrated to have very strong mechanical rigidity with Young modulus of about 19 GPa. We also reveal that a peptide homologue can form spherical nanometric assemblies. Both the nanotubes and nanospheres assemble efficiently and have remarkable stability.

Patents and Status
Four granted patents.

Project manager

Rona Samler
VP, BD Physical Science, Medical Device, Chemistry

Project researchers

Ehud Gazit
T.A.U Tel Aviv University, Life Sciences
Molecular Microbiology-Biotechnology

Related Keywords

• Textiles Technology
• Chemistry
• Micro- and Nanotechnology
• Micro- and Nanotechnology related to Biological sciences
• Chemicals and Materials
• Nanotechnology
• Nano Materials
• Nanotechnology
• Material Sciences
• Plastics and Polymers
• Nanotechnology