Chemspy chemistry news and views

Beyond stain-resistant: New fabric coating actively shrugs off gunk - Scientists are reporting development and successful testing of a fabric coating that would give new meaning to the phrase "stain-resistant" -- a coating that would take an active role in sloughing off grease, dirt, strong acids and other gunk. The report, which shows that the coating is even more water-repellent than car wax or Teflon, appears in ACS' journal Langmuir. Reference: “Photoreactive Azido-Containing Silica Nanoparticle/Polycation Multilayers: Durable Superhydrophobic Coating on Cotton Fibers,” T. Lin et al, Langmuir, 2012, 28 (15), pp 6328–6335 DOI: 10.1021/la300281q