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HARROW: It’s no secret that spider’s silk is incredibly strong, despite its delicate appearance. But the material becomes even tougher when infused with graphene or carbon nanotubes, creating silk which could have superior characteristics.
Despite the ease of destroying a pesky cobweb, spider silk is actually one of the strongest natural substances in the world. Meanwhile, graphene – sheets of carbon just one atom thick – is one of the toughest artificial materials.
Bearing that knowledge in mind, Professor Nicola Pugno of University of Trento, Italy, decided to combine the two substances.
To carry out their experiment, Pugno and his team needed some eight-legged participants. They captured five spiders from the Pholcidae family and sprayed them with a mixture of water and graphene particles ranging from 200 to 300 nanometers wide.
They also sprayed another 10 spiders with carbon nanotubes and water, to compare the effects of the two materials.
