SHANGHAI scientists have developed a new nanostructured material which can be used to make highly flexible and fire-resistant clothing.

The nanomaterial will be safer and more eco-friendly than material previously used to make fire-resistant fabric such as asbestos.

Practical applications of nanostructured materials have been largely limited. The latest application has been developed by a research team led by Professor Zhu Yingjie from the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.