Australia invented ultra-thin nanomaterials for many applications

The risk of radioactivity for astronauts going out into the air may soon become "the past story", after Australian scientists invented a super-thin nanomaterial that could be told. protect the surface against light and radiation.

The discovery is made by Australian National University (ANU) scientists published in the country's High-Performance Materials magazine on July 4.

This type of nanomaterial is capable of adjusting to reflect the visible or invisible light , thereby better protecting astronauts from solar radiation when they are outside aerospace.

Astronaut Peggy Whitson (center), NASA commander Shane Kimbrough (left) and engineer Thomas Pesquet (right) before "walking" outside the International Space Station (ISS) on April 24.(Source: EPA / VNA).

Dr. Mohsen Rahmani of ANU said that this material is so thin that it can apply hundreds of layers at once to any surface, including space suits.

According to Dr. Rahmani, this material can be used in a variety of applications such as protecting astronauts or protecting satellites with an adjustable ultra-thin membrane to reflect ultraviolet rays. Purple dangerous or infrared radiation in different environments.

He said the technology significantly increased harmful radiation resistance compared to current technologies, which rely on the principle of radiation absorption with thick layers of filter .

Researcher Andrey Miroshnichenko in the team said that the nanomaterials can not only reflect invisible light like infrared radiation, but also can block and transmit visible light, opening up possibilities in applications. Architectural works such as buildings, on windows or in stadiums.

He can, for example, turn a window into a bathroom mirror, or control the amount of light entering the house through the window depending on the season of the year.