This Cloth Destroys Deadly Nerve Agents in Minutes

In fact, sweaty fabric performed better than clean fabric—probably because of the extra water.MOF-808 belongs to a larger class of molecules known as metal-organic frameworks, which chemists have begun to use to more precisely control chemical reactions. In particular, chemists want to use these customized cages for storing gases—perhaps for trapping carbon dioxide produced at a coal plant, or storing hydrogen gas for fuel cells.Farha’s fabric coating also uses a polymer called polyethylenimine, which glues the metal-organic framework to the cloth evenly. Chemists don’t have a detailed picture of how a metal-organic framework attaches to a surface, so they’re still not clear on the best way to make the molecules stick.Li has developed a technique for photographing metal-organic frameworks that could help answer this question. These more detailed images could lead researchers to design frameworks that perform specific chemical reactions better, says Li.Now that Farha’s fabric performs the desired chemical reaction, his team will begin to consider its wearability.