Graphene is a nanomaterial known for its unique combination of properties such as it being one million times smaller than the diameter of a single human hair, 200 times stronger than steel, and being an excellent conductor for heat and electricity. Described as an atomic-scale honeycomb lattice made of carbon atoms, graphene is the building block of the element graphite, most notably found in pencil leads.
First discovered in 2004 by Prof Andre Geim and Prof Kostya Novoselov at the University of Manchester, they discovered that by separating graphite fragments repeatedly resulted in flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time. What set apart graphene as a material was its structural element being two-dimensional crystals, with only two dimensions: length and width. The third dimension, height, is considered zero. The discovery of graphene has allowed for a wide spectrum of applications ranging from electronics, optics, sensors, biodevices, and now hair dye.
Dying hair is achieved by the process where the outermost layer of a hair called the cuticle, made of cells that overlap in a scale-like pattern, are pried open by using ammonia and bleach. By opening the cuticle scales, colourant molecules can be added to trigger a reaction inside the hair to produce more colour. This process has been attributed to causing hair to become more fragile.
To counter this, a Northwestern University team led by Jiaxing Huang have developed a graphene hair dye. By replacing toxic molecular ingredients with graphene-based sheets, the graphene hair dye was labelled to be much safer than the market alternative and has also exceeded in both quality and performance when compared to its counterparts.
Leveraging graphene’s high surface area, flexibility and anti-static properties, the graphene hair dye can easily be wrapped around each hair for an even and smooth coat. The ink formula also incorporates edible, non-toxic polymer binders to ensure that the graphene sticks. It is also reported that it lasts through at least 30 washes, equivalent to the commercial requirement for permanent hair dye.
To learn more about the graphene hair dye, click the link below.
