The fabric consists of a cotton support modified with Cu-BTC MOF/oxidised graphitic carbon nitride composites.
The latter were developed in the lab previously and tested as nerve agent detoxification media and colorimetric detectors.
Combining Cu-BTC and g-C3N4-ox resulted in a nanocomposite (MOFgCNox) of heterogeneous porosity and chemistry.
Upon the deposition of MOFgCNox onto cotton textiles, a stable fabric was obtained, with supreme photocatalytic detoxification ability towards the nerve gas surrogate, dimethyl chlorophosphate.
The detoxification process was accompanied by a visible and gradual colour change, which Ms Bandosz said can be used for the selective detection of chemical warfare agents and for monitoring their penetration inside a protective layer
