In Illinois, researchers at Northwestern have used graphene to dye hair and control frizz. Conventional hair dyes are alkaline solutions that open hair cuticles so color-changing compounds can penetrate the hair. The graphene dyes, however, create a coating on hair’s surface. The dye is produced using biopolymer chitosan, ascorbic acid, and graphene oxide.
The formulation is water-based, free of toxic chemicals common in conventional hair dyes, and available in a range of dark colors. Because graphene’s thinness creates a tight bind—as does chitosan to hair protein keratin—the dye is also resistant to fading for 30 washes.
The researchers have filed a provisional patent application. The dye does not require high-quality graphene, which is expensive to produce, the researchers add.