Borophenes, the Material of the Future in Textiles

Interview: Tuğba Karademir

Prof. Dr. Cem Güneşoğlu, a faculty member at Gaziantep University, has been gaining attention with his recent work on borophene-based fabric production. He continues to develop innovative and eco-friendly solutions for the textile industry. Güneşoğlu explains the impact of borophene on fabrics, its health benefits, and its environmentally friendly properties.

Innovative technologies increasingly shape the textile industry. One of the significant breakthroughs in this field is the use of borophene in fabric production. Prof. Dr. Cem Güneşoğlu, a faculty member at Gaziantep University, is bringing a fresh perspective to the sector with his research on the superior features and eco-friendly advantages of borophene in textile products. “Borophene will offer significant improvements in clothing comfort,” says Güneşoğlu, who shared his insights on how borophene contributes to fabrics and the potential impact this technology will have in the future.

First of all, can we get to know you a bit, Mr. Cem? Could you provide some information about your educational background?

I am a Textile Engineer from Uludağ University. I completed my undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral studies at Uludağ University. I spent some time in the United States as a postdoctoral researcher in the field of Chemistry. Before my military service, in 2007, I began working as a faculty member at Gaziantep University in my hometown, Gaziantep. I became an associate professor in 2011 and a full professor in 2017. For the last two years, I have also been working as a part-time researcher at the Sabancı University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center (SUNUM).

How did the idea of using borophenes in fabric production come about? What scientific foundations did you rely on in this field?

I have been researching the use of various additive materials on textile surfaces. My studies involve fibers, yarns, and fabrics modified with nanometer-sized metal oxides, CNT (carbon nanotubes), graphene, and graphene oxide. These materials are used to manipulate properties like electrical, thermal, moisture management, and mechanical characteristics of textile surfaces. There are now commercially available textile materials incorporating these additives that are in industrial production. However, problems such as clumping due to the small particle size and twisting resistance that does not align with the elastic properties of the fibers led us to explore the use of different materials. Graphene is a useful material formed from two-dimensional graphite, but the issues I mentioned limit its use in fiber and yarn production. After borophenes were first synthesized in 2015, studies showed that they carry fewer of these disadvantages. This is why I started working on borophenes for laboratory-scale applications.

“Borophenes have the potential to show higher effects with a lower percentage of additives”

How does the antibacterial and antiviral fabric made with borophenes differ from other fabrics on the market?

Borophenes can be defined as a two-dimensional arrangement of boron. Its properties can be diversified according to parameters such as its porous structure, the number of layers, and the substrate on which it is synthesized. Boron compounds, such as boron oxides and boron salts, have been used in the textile sector for years for different performance features such as flame retardancy and antibacterial activity. Borophenes have the potential to show higher effects with a lower percentage of additives. It can adsorb onto different materials and form complexes. For example, when synthesized on graphene, it can show higher efficiency with fewer layers. In this sense, it is a very efficient material.

What kind of tests have been done to assess the health benefits of these fabrics? What were the findings?

The thermal conductivity and heat diffusion properties of the fabrics affect user comfort and health by determining the level of metabolic heat dissipation after activity. We found that even at very low ppm levels, the presence of borophenes significantly changed the thermal properties of the fabrics. Additionally, borophenes showed very effective antimicrobial properties.

Borophenes Increases Sleep Quality

What are the effects of borophene-based bedding fabric on sleep quality? What differences do users experience with this product?

We are mammals, who fall asleep by reducing their core body temperature. The faster this drop occurs, the longer we stay in REM and non-REM sleep, leading to better sleep quality. I have been working on bedding fabrics for many years, and together with the Küçükler Textile R&D Center in Kayseri, we have developed various types of bedding fabrics, and their effectiveness can be objectively tested and analyzed. Recently, in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine at ERU, we observed the effects of some bedding fabrics on sleep quality and health in a sleep laboratory. Our findings indicate that materials that accelerate core temperature reduction and do not cause fluctuations in body temperature improve sleep quality. Borophenes showed effects that replicated the know-how we gained from bedding fabrics at a higher level.

Can we say that the borophene used in this project is environmentally friendly? What do the studies on environmental impacts show in this field?

Borophenes are environmentally friendly due to the synthesis method and the fact that only a very small amount is needed for effectiveness. In this sense, borophenes and borophene-coated textile surfaces can be considered environmentally friendly.

What steps have been taken in the transition to mass production of borophene-based fabrics? What challenges or opportunities did you encounter during your discussions with a manufacturing company?

The main challenge in commercializing borophenes is their high cost. To show biological and chemical activity, a certain amount (above a certain ppm value) is needed on the surface. Also, due to the reactive nature of borophenes, there is a risk of oxidation. While developing borophene-enhanced bedding fabrics, I can say that we struggled with determining the recipe for the application bath, but the ability of borophenes to form complexes helped us. We found that the borophenes supplied by SUNUM had a low oxidation risk. After test studies, we documented the and expressed that we were ready for mass production. Orders have now been received, and the application bath for delivering those orders is ready.

“For borophenes to find a larger commercial counterpart, they need to be adapted to the textile sector”

What kind of innovations do you think borophene-based fabrics can bring to the textile industry in the long term?

Borophenes first gained attention in our country for use in energy storage and fuel cells. SUNUM has shown that borophenes are very successful in improving the lifespan and performance of electric vehicle batteries. However, for borophenes to find a larger commercial counterpart, they need to be adapted to the textile sector. In the short term, borophenes will be used in all textile applications that involve 2D materials like graphene. At this stage, we will need to develop different types of borophenes. Significant studies are being conducted in our universities and research centers, especially by SUNUM, on the synthesis, morphology, and differences in production as a heteromaterial. As these studies diversify, we will see that borophenes are used in every stage of textiles.

In which other fields do you plan to apply this technology? For example, can borophene-based fabrics be used in the apparel industry?

Yes, we are currently working on borophene-based protective clothing and yarn production with borophene/graphene complexes. Borophenes will offer significant improvements in clothing comfort. We have applied for TÜBİTAK support to continue these studies.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Our country is a textile powerhouse. We have a very strong textile infrastructure and high-quality production capabilities. Although global energy and labor costs challenge the competitiveness of the sector, transforming innovative ideas into reality is very important for the future of the industry. We will continue working in this area and towards this goal. What’s important is to form the right teams.