Nanotechnology, a  technological advance that common Chinese have looked on as  something done in closed labs, first showed its impact on daily  life with men's neckties.

   Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) told  Xinhua that the nano surface disposal technique has made silk,  woolen and cotton textiles waterproof and oil-proof.

   Such characteristics are important for neckties and other  clothes for special purposes, said Dong Yongrong, general manager  of the necktie producer that first developed so-called "nano  neckties", cooperated with the CAS.

   "We tried to apply the traditional waterproof technique to the  neckties but it made silk feel rough," Dong said. "The nano  technique retains the soft and comfortable qualities of silk."

   Scientists borrowed the idea from lotus leaves: Water slides  down a tie instead of absorbing into the material, said Song  Yanlin, an expert from CAS.

   "We used a certain technique to develop a tiny fuzz-like  framework on the surface of cloth, just like that on lotus leaves, with the size smaller than 100 nano-meters," Song said. "The fuzz  absorbs air molecules and forms a thin covering that protects the  cloth from oil and water."
   Clothing treated with this technique is supposed to stay clean  for quite a long time and does not need to be washed frequently,  he added.

   The CAS scientists have also developed other nano surface  disposal technique that greatly improves ability of artificial  textiles to absorb water, prevents woolen cloth from shrinking and protects silk from discoloration.

   Nanotechnology will come into wider use with clothing, Song  predicted, adding that someday, people will wear clothes that can  sense the surrounding changes of light, sound, temperature,  humidity, radiation, and even fluctuations in body temperature.