A Little Synthesized Sugar Yields Cotton That Glows

A microscopic image of glowing cotton fibers. (Credit: Filipe Natalio) Everything is getting “smarter” these days: automobiles, refrigerators, garage door openers…trashcans? Even the shirt on your back is wising up and feasting on the data you generate with every step. The emerging e-textiles market promises threads that communicate, conduct energy, control body temperature and shapeshift. There are smart yoga pants, for example, that feature built in haptic vibrations to guide you into the perfect downward dog. The Supa sports bra links to an app and will provide feedback about your workout. And Apple has several patents on clothing that would double as a remote control for all your connected devices—who needs a watch? But being connected to the web from head to toe has its drawbacks: Many of these smart fibers are simply conventional strings coated in some kind of material. Or, tiny wires and materials are sewn into the ...