Self-cleaning material mimcs snake skin when damaged

Clothing could soon have the ability to repair itself when damaged – all you need to do is add water. Scientists have designed a new water-repellent material that when scratched and submerged in water, will shed off the top layer to reveal an unscathed surface underneath. The team foresees the innovation being used in a range of applications including rain gear, medical instruments and self-cleaning car windows. Nanograss consists of tiny needle-like projections sticking straight up. To demonstrate the invention, researcher scratched the coating and submerged the material in water, which then seeped into the cut and dissolved the polymer.