Disclosed is a method of crosslinking protein fibers, including wool fibers, by (i) providing a crosslinking agent including an oxidized sugar mixture having a plurality of different oxidized sugars of different molecular lengths and having at least two aldehyde groups (e.g., oxidized soy flour sugars); and (ii) infiltrating a plurality of non-crosslinked protein fibers with the crosslinking agent under conditions effective to cause protein molecules contained in the non-crosslinked protein fibers to become crosslinked. This method yields a population of crosslinked protein fibers, where the protein molecules of the non-crosslinked protein fibers include amine groups that react with the aldehyde groups of the oxidized sugars to achieve the crosslinking of the protein molecules to yield the crosslinked protein fibers.

The present invention provides polynucleotide constructs with at least one disruption or tearing responsive promoter and at least one sequence encoding a fiber-forming protein. The invention further provides a cell comprising such a construct as well as a biofilm containing a plurality of such cells. A biofilm comprising cells containing the construct of the present invention are capable of forming protein fibers in response to a disruption stimulus that are useful, for example, in preparation of self-healing fabrics and textiles.

A textile article includes a first fabric including a plurality of first carbon nanotubes coupled to the first fabric. The first carbon nanotubes of the plurality of first carbon nanotubes are metallic carbon nanotubes. A second fabric includes a plurality of second carbon nanotubes coupled to the second fabric. The second carbon nanotubes of the plurality of second carbon nanotubes are semiconductive carbon nanotubes. The first fabric is interconnected with the second fabric.

Functional agent-containing fibers according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a functional agent is supported by silicone fixed to the fibers. The silicone includes an acrylic-modified organopolysiloxane having two or more acrylic groups per molecule. A rate of decrease in the functional agent after the functional agent-containing fibers are washed 10 times is less than 40%. In the present invention, the functional agent-containing fibers may be produced, e.g., by irradiating fibers impregnated with a fiber treatment agent A containing silicone with an electron beam so that the silicone is fixed to the fibers, and impregnating the fibers to which the silicone has been fixed with a fiber treatment agent B containing a functional agent. The functional agent-containing fibers may be produced, e.g., by impregnating fibers with a fiber treatment agent C containing silicone and a functional agent and irradiating the fibers impregnated with the fiber treatment agent C with an electron beam so that the silicone is fixed to the fibers and the functional agent is supported by the silicone fixed to the fibers. Thus, functional agent-containing fibers having improved washing resistance and a method for producing the fibers are provided.

A method of making an antimicrobial textile comprising TiO.sub.2 nanoparticles is described. The TiO.sub.2 nanoparticles are immobilized by first treating a textile with a base, and then contacting with TiO.sub.2 nanoparticles in a solution of an alcohol and acid. The textile may be subsequently irradiated with UV light prior to use. The antimicrobial textile shows high effectiveness against the growth and proliferation of microorganisms transmitted within indoor environments.

A coated staple fiber suitable for obtaining protective and floating padding, having a core consisting of at least one natural and/or man-made organic staple fiber and comprising: I) a base tackifier layer which covers the natural and/or man-made organic staple fiber and which comprises a hydrocarbon resin or similar tackifier, II) an intermediate heat insulating and fire retardant layer which covers the base layer and which comprises aerogel microparticles evenly but not continuously distributed, III) a top hydrophobic layer which covers the intermediate layer and which comprises organosilanes, wherein the base layer binds the intermediate layer to the natural and/or man-made organic staple fiber and the intermediate layer is included between the base layer and the top layer.

The present disclosure relates to a wearable water triboelectric generator, wherein the water triboelectric generator comprises a first substrate having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface and the second surface are opposing to each other; and wherein the first surface comprises a modified hydrophobic surface comprising a coating of hydrophobic cellulose oleoyl ester nanoparticles. There is also provided a wearable dual mode water and contact triboelectric generator comprising said water triboelectric generator and a contact triboelectric generator, wherein the water triboelectric generator and the contact triboelectric generator are arranged such that the first substrate of the water triboelectric generator completely surrounds or encapsulates the contact triboelectric generator.

A protein surface layer is formed on a surface of a base fiber comprising a natural protein fiber including silk or a synthetic protein fiber including Chinon. The protein surface layer is divided in a plurality of particles by cracks. The resultant fibers with the protein surface layer divided in particles by cracks affords bulky textile products with an improved texture.

Antimicrobial textiles and methods of making antimicrobial textiles including a sheet substrate comprising a textile and metal oxide nanoparticles in which the nanoparticles are present as a nanocomposite on the surface of and within the sheet substrate. The textiles may be used in wearable items such as personal protective equipment such as face masks. Methods of making the textiles include applying a metal salt solution to a textile to diffuse the metal salt into the textile and drying the textile, such as drying the textile with heat, to bind the metal salt to the surface of and the interior fibers of the textile by forming a nanocomposite of metal nanoparticles or nanostructures in situ.

A fiber-treating agent including the following components (A) to (C) and having a turbidity of 1,000 NTU or less, where a part or all of the components (A) and (B) are optionally a condensate formed from the components: (A): formaldehyde or a hydrate thereof, (B): a phenolic compound having an electron donating group on at least one of meta-positions and a hydrogen atom on at least one of ortho-positions and a para-position, where the electron donating group on the meta-position optionally forms, together with adjacent carbon atoms, a benzene ring optionally substituted with a hydroxy group, and (C): water.