The Graphene-Lined Clothes Can Help Us Avoid Mosquito Bites

The latest research has shown that a supermaterial called graphene, which is used to create solar cells, turns out to be an excellent mosquito repellent. According to scientists from Brown University, graphene-lined clothes is able to help wearers protect themselves from this small but scary creatures. Also, the supermaterial can reportedly change mosquito’s behavior.

The research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) a few days ago. Graphene prevents mosquitoes from attacking humans or other living creatures by blocking chemical signals.

The leader of the study, Ph.D. Student Cintia Castillho talked about their team’s initiative:

In their research, participants’ arms were covered in cheesecloth or graphene oxide (CO) films that are coated with cheesecloth. The results pointed out that the wearers with the graphene supermaterial weren’t bitten by any mosquito.

It’s a pity that graphene oxide (GO) tends to reduce its performance when it is placed into the wet environment- the ideal one for mosquitoes to grow up and develop rapidly. More notably, these creatures can bite through wet GO films. However, when the researchers leveraged reduced graphene oxide (RGO), mosquitoes couldn’t bite humans, even in the wet condition.

Also, reduced graphene oxide is not breathable. In other words, the application of this material for camping clothing is infeasible. Hope that the researchers can soon discover how to create more stable graphene in many kinds of different conditions. The professor Robert Hurt of Brown University said, "This next step would give us the full benefits of breathability and bite protection."

As of now, many producers of electronics, as well as of outdoor gear, have added graphene to battery packs, shoes, jackets, and other products.