Researchers create improved wigs using graphene oxide

Researchers from China’s Donghua University have developed a new way to make wigs more durable and longer lasting – using graphene oxide.

Hairpieces can be made of real human strands or synthetic materials, but either way, washing, UV exposure from the sun and repeated styling can cause these products to become dry and brittle. To extend the life of wigs, researchers have spray-coated a layer of graphene oxide on them, whereas other teams have immersed wigs in a keratin/halloysite nanocomposite. Since it’s difficult to cover an entire hairpiece with these methods, the team wanted to see if a nanocomposite applied with a tried-and-true approach for coating surfaces with ultrathin films – known as the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique – could improve coverage and increase durability.