Threads Detect Gases When Woven into Clothing

A fabrication method was developed to create dyed threads that change color when they detect a variety of gases. The threads can be read visually or even more precisely by use of a smartphone camera, to detect changes of color due to analytes as low as 50 parts per million. Woven into clothing, the gas-detecting threads could provide a reusable, washable, and affordable safety asset in medical, workplace, military, and rescue environments.