DIAMOND-LIKE CARBON: A VERSATILE MATERIAL FOR DEVELOPING INNOVATIVE SMART TEXTILES APPLICATIONS. A SHORT REVIEW

Smart textiles are fabrics that have been developed or modified with new technologies providing added value to the wearer. The emerging smart textile technologies have to take into account the aesthetics and comfort of the textiles, using at the same time a simple and intuitive technology interface. Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC), is an amorphous carbons allotrope, containing a mixture of sp(2) and sp(3)-hybridized carbon atoms. This is a well-known material for mechanical and industrial applications, but it is recently receiving much attention for its innovative utilization in the design and construction of smart and multifunctional textile-based systems through the proper functionalization and modification of the surface of the cellulosic substrates. Allowing the simultaneous inclusion of other nanostructured materials with the ultimate formation of a complex nanocomposite-based structure, adds value and novel properties to the material, making DLC an optimal candidate for smart self-cleaning properties. The latest developments, strategies and materials, are herein addressed. Future perspectives, using the approach of complex systems physics, for developing new and ecological applications in nanotechnologies as well as the development of micro and nano techniques for fiber treatment are highlighted.