Bebiana Rocha
As a part of the EcoBioInks4SmartTextiles, CeNTI – Center for Nanotechnology and Technical, Functional and Intelligent Materials, and CEB – Biological Engineering Center at the Minho University, developed bio-sustainable inks that promise to revolutionize the textile manufacturing with smart proprieties, in clothing and decor. These inks came out through the purification of biomolecules. And, according to the light, they change colors.
“This discovery will take advantage of the optical properties of reversibly switchable fluorescent tubes (RSFPs), which allow endowing textiles with photo-controllable fluorescent properties”, explains CeNTI on the presentation project page. To obtain this solution, it appealed to bio and nanotechnology.
The innovation has its relation since these inks are composed of natural materials, “namely biomolecules produced in microorganisms, contrasting with traditional materials of synthetic basis with petroleum derivated.”
The Minho University was responsible for the biotechnology production and the purification of fluorescent biomaterials. On the other hand, CeNTI elaborated the encapsulation tests for the production of sustainable inks, application in textiles, and testing.
This project began in 2018 and is currently in the patenting phase. Owing to its unique properties, hard to copy, and columnar, the bio-inks also are used as anti-counterfeit markers.