Lightweight And Wearable X-Ray Shielding Material With Biological Structure For Low Secondary Radiation And Metabolic Saving Performance (Vol 5, 2000240, 2020)

Preventing X-rays from reaching the human body is of great significance for the safe implementation of a wide range of related technologies. However, the current materials are commonly accompanied with low mechanical properties and backscatter radiation hazards. In this study, a structural material with high mass attenuation coefficients in a wide energy range (10-100 keV) is developed. The integration of high-Zelements in hierarchical collagen nanofibers strongly reduces the backscatter radiation, resulting in only 28% of secondary radiation compared with a standard lead plate. The water vapor permeability of the engineered leather is nearly 340 times higher than commonly used synthetic and natural polymers. Compared with the commercial rubber-based materials, the tensile strength of the engineered leather increased to 27.22 MPa (tenfold increase) and tear strength to 78.5 N mm(-1)(threefold increase), respectively. A fully tailored engineered leather suit provides a 24.7% lower metabolic rate of locomotion and 67% reduced body heat compared with commercial lead aprons, which can facilitate better performance and safety during intensive activities in the health care and nuclear industries. This work lays a foundation for the engineering of next-generation X-ray shielding materials with potential large impact on the X-ray application landscape.