A breathable material that can act as a barrier to chemical agents is presented. The material is composed of butyl rubber and a crosslinkable lyotropic liquid crystal. Under the right synthesis conditions, a cubic phase with the desired selectivity properties results (see figure). The material is highly permeable to water vapor, but strongly impermeable to a mustard gas simulant. Application of the material for effective personal protection against such chemical agents is envisaged.
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Lu et al. (2006) studied this question.
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