Researchers from Penn State have developed nanowire technology for application in personal cooling units. The devices could be lifesavers for anyone exposed to extreme heat, such as astronauts, firefighters and soldiers, or anyone outside on the hottest summer days.
The titanium dioxide nanowires are grown on fluorine-doped tin oxide coated glass. A template ensured all the nanowires grow perpendicular to the glass surface, and to the same uniform height. Barium and strontium ions are infused into them during the process. A nanosheet of silver applied to the array serves as an electrode.
The resulting material can be applied to a flexible surface, including clothing, using a sticky tape, according to the research team. But the device is not yet ready to be made since design challenges need to be tackled.