Researchers at North Carolina State University have created a molecule-thin protective layer for wood and processed material. 
 
A paper outlining the results were published in the Angewandte Chemie journal, as well as in a release from the university.
 
“Our technique, which we call inverse thermal degradation (ITD), employs a nanoscale thin film over a targeted material,” said professor and researcher Martin Thuo. “The thin film changes in response to the heat of the fire and regulates the amount of oxygen that can access the material. That means we can control the rate at which the material heats up – which, in turn, influences the chemical reactions taking place within the material. Basically, we can fin-tune how and where the fire changes the material.”
 
ITD works by coating a cellulose fiber or other targeted material with a layer of nanometer thick layer of molecules which are exposed to extreme flames. The outer layer of the molecules easily combusts; however, the inner surface of the molecular coating chemically changes to create a thin layer of glass round the cellulose fibers. 
 
The ITD causes the cellulose to smolder, causing it to burn slowly from the inside out.
 
“We can engineer the protective layer in order to tune the amount of oxygen that reaches the target material. And we can engineer the target material in order to produce desirable characteristics,” Thuo added. 
 
Through a proof-of-concept, researchers created microscale carbon tubes from cellulose fibers. 
Researchers were able to control thickness of carbon tube walls through the size of the initial cellulose fibers by using various salts which controls the burning rate, and by controlling the amount of oxygen that passes though the protective layer.
 
Thuo commented, “we have several applications in mind already, which we will be addressing in future studies. We’re also open to working with the private sector to explore various practical uses, such as developing engineered carbon tubes for oil-water separation – which would be useful for both industrial applications and environmental remediation.”