Scientists in America have released details of a research paper on new chemical coatings for self-healing textiles, which they claim can be applied to garments to neutralise toxins and protect the wearer from exposure to pesticides, chemicals or biological attack. The coatings are based on molecular interactions and can be applied to nonwoven substrates for uses in the protective clothing and medical sectors. Tony Whitfield spoke to the lead scientist, Melik Demirel, from the Penn State college of Engineering.