The US makes military uniforms capable of destroying nerve agents in a few minutes

 The US makes military uniforms capable of destroying nerve agents in a few minutes

Scientists are working with the US military to develop clothing that can quickly destroy toxic substances, a measure intended to protect soldiers from .

Inside the laboratory of chemist Omar Farha at Northwestern University, he and his colleagues are working on a special project, with the support of the US Army. They mix a powder and liquid into a paste with paint-like properties, dip cotton cloths in it, and then dry it. Through this process, the cloth can quickly neutralize the toxins of many dangerous chemicals, which can affect the human nervous system.

This fabric is the latest success in the 10-year history of developing uniforms that can protect the wearer against chemical weapons, with destructive and somanic capabilities, also known as GD - a form of "grandmother". child" but more dangerous. These compounds have the ability to destroy the human central nervous system, blocking the ability to interact between neurons. Just put them on your body, like your face, and you will die within a few hours.

This fabric can protect the wearer against chemical weapons.

This fabric can protect the wearer against chemical weapons. (Illustration).

Currently, soldiers in the US military are also wearing uniforms that can absorb nerve agents, but have not been able to destroy them. The current goal is to create a fabric that meets both of these criteria.

With a variety of approaches, the scientists were able to neutralize these nerve agents and put them in a beaker of solution. At this point, water will play the role of slowly breaking down toxins over many days, the process can be done as quickly and as short as a few minutes thanks to catalysts.

But the challenge for Farha and his team was to create the same chemical reaction right on the surface of the dry fabric. To solve the problem, they coated the fabric with something important: a crystalline molecule called MOF-808. This molecule will essentially "pick up" water from the air of the environment, because water vapor will condense on them due to its unique shape and chemical properties. When MOF-808 comes into contact with neurotoxins, water binds to the poison's molecules and disrupts its structure. During this process, the zirconium inside the MOF-808 crystals will be responsible for the catalyst, thereby shortening the destruction time of the neurotoxin. As long as this fabric is in an environment with about 30% humidity, it will collect enough water to do this in just a few minutes.