Smart fabric turns sunlight into heat

Scientists in Canada created a soft, stretchy fabric that converts sunlight into heat and offers a safe and effective way to stay warm. Similar materials exist, but they often rely on external power, metals, or ceramics to work, which can make them expensive and clunky. For the new fabric, researchers used nanoparticles (extremely small particles) of two plastic-like materials, which absorb light and turn it into heat through a process called photothermal conversion. They put the nanoparticles into fibers and added a dye that changes color when it gets warm. To test the new material, they made a tiny red sweater for a teddy bear. After 10 minutes in the sun, it reached 128.3° F and turned white. The fabric retained its heating and color-changing abilities even after 25 washes.…

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The Week Junior US (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 255

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