Stain-free, self-cleaning clothing on the horizon

Since 2011, the Harvard research team that created Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces has demonstrated a spate of sleek applications for the super-slick coating known as SLIPS, which repels nearly any substance it touches: water, ice, oil, saltwater, wax, blood, and more.

Now, SLIPS is wearable.

As reported January 10 in a special issue celebrating the 25^th year of the journal Nanotechnology, the team has modified everyday cotton and polyester fabrics to exhibit traditional antifouling SLIPS behavior.

In past publications, the researchers at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering have demonstrated SLIPS’ versatility under extreme pH and temperature conditions, and have successfully coated diverse materials ranging from refrigeration coils to lenses, windows, and ceramics.

This latest advance could meet the need for a robust, stain-resistant textile for a host of consumer and industrial applications.