Study on the Camouflage-Protective and Dyeing Properties of Natural Dye Indigo

There are two major camouflage protections in modern military tactics:UV-protection and near infrared camouflage.However,not all natural and composite dyestuffs provide the mentioned properties.In this study,the cotton fabric was dyed with natural indigo and the natural indigo dyeing process was optimized.Green leaves were chosen as the simulating object,and the camouflage properties of the dyed cotton fabric were evaluated.It was observed that the dyed cotton fabric had good UV-protection and near-infrared camouflage properties.The UV-protection effect was strongly dependent on the absorption characteristics of natural indigo for UV radiation.The near infrared camouflage effect was mainly dependent on the reflection spectrum characteristics of natural indigo in the near infrared waveband.

Dyeing of Polyester and Nylon with Semi-synthetic Azo Dye by Chemical Modification of Natural Source Areca Nut

Various azo compounds(Modified dyes)have been synthesised by chemical modification of areca nut extract(epicate-chin),a plant-based Polyphenolic compound to get semi-synthetic dyes.Three different primary amines namely p-nitro aniline,p-anisidine and aniline,were diazotized to form their corresponding diazonium salts which were further coupled with an areca nut extract.Preliminary characterization of the areca nut extract and the resultant azo compounds(Modified dyes)was carried out in terms of melting point,solubility tests,thin layer chromatography,UV-Visible and FTIR spectroscopy.These modified dyes were further applied on polyester and nylon fabrics and%dye exhaustion was evaluated.Dyed fabrics were further tested for their fastness properties such as wash fastness,rubbing fastness,light fastness and sublimation fastness.The results of the fastness tests indicate that,all the three modified dyes have good dyeability for polyester and nylon fabrics.The dyed fabrics were also tested for ultraviolet protection factor which showed very good ultraviolet protection.

Propolis inspired sunscreens for efficient UV-protection and skin barrier maintenance

The direct use of naturally occurring,small molecular ingredients in bioinspired sunscreens has raised several concerns due to the instability,photocytotoxicity,and potential blood toxicity of those ingredients.In this work,we have employed natural ultraviolet(UV)-blocking molecule caffeic acid phenethyl ester(CAPE)from propolis to prepare poly(CAPE)nanoparticles(NPs)as the main bioactive ingredient to fabricate propolis-inspired hydrogel sunscreens.Compared with small molecular CAPE,poly(CAPE)NPs exhibited better dispersion and stability in water,as well as lower physiological toxicity and skin permeability.And the resulting composite hydrogels demonstrated promising properties including water-resistant whereas can be easily erased by warm water as well as safety when interacting with skin.More importantly,the hydrogel sunscreens showed excellent UV protection properties both in vitro and in vivo,and the positive effects in maintaining skin barrier functions.This work provides new strategies towards the facile construction of nature-inspired robust sunscreens in the future.

Preparation of epoxy resin/rare earth doped aluminate nanocomposite toward photoluminescent and superhydrophobic transparent woods

A translucent wooden substrate with long-lasting phosphorescence,high photostability and durability,tough surface,ultraviolet protection,high optical transmittance,and superhydrophobicity was developed.This long-lasting phosphorescent wooden substrate is able to continue emitting light for extended time periods.Lignin-modified wood(LMW)was immobilized with a solution of epoxy resin(ER)and rare-earth doped aluminate(REDA)phosphor nanoparticles(NPs).For an improved dispersion of pigment,REDA was synthesized in a nanoscale particle size,and characterized by transmission electron microscopy(TEM)to indicate a particle size of 8-14 nm.The crystal structure of REDA nanoparticles was also proved by X-ray diffraction(XRD).For an improved production of long-persistent phosphorescent colo rless woods,REDA must be well-dispersed in MAA without aggregation.Absorption and emissio n,as well as decay and lifetime spectra were explored.The morphologies of the wooden substrates with different ratios of REDA were investigated by scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray fluorescence(XRF)analysis,Fourier transform infrared spectra(FT-IR),elemental mapping,and energy-dispersion Xray(EDXA).The phosphorescent woods show changes in color from colorless to green under ultraviolet(UV)irradiation,and to yellowish-green in the dark,as proved by the colorimetric parameters of the CIE Lab system.The afterglow wood samples display an absorbance band at 365 nm and two phosphorescent bands at 431 and 520 nm.Improved UV shielding,photostability,and hydrophobicity were explored.With increasing REDA ratio,both static contact and slide angles are found to improve in the ranges of147.6°-163.6°and 9°-14°,respectively.The long-lasting photoluminescence is optimized at a REDA ratio of 8%.The present strategy shows a large-scale production approach of multiple functional woods for many potential applications,such as smart glow in the dark windows and safety signs.