For Greeks and Romans, use of nanotechnology is no surprise as some findings reveal that 2000 years ago, the two wise communities used mixture of lead oxide and slaked lime to colour grey hair black for a long time.
The 2-millennia old formula is interesting for researchers, said Dr Ivan Kempson, a material scientist and research fellow at the University of South Australia.
The researchers prepared a batch of dye following the ancient prescription of lead oxide and slaked lime.
They immersed 50 milligrams of human hair in the dye for three days and then conducted a close study.
This hair gradually turned black. When researchers took its sample and observed them under microscope, they found nanocrystals of lead sulfide in the hair shaft.
Black colour was the result of reaction between lead in lead oxide and sulfer from amino acids found in hair keratins.
Five nanometer lead sulfide crystals formed by the reaction resembled lead sulfide quantum dots which are nowadays made by modern scientific techniques.
Researchers hope their findings will enable development of new mineral based nanomaterials.
Kempson also added that cosmetics industry might find this research interesting to develop hair dyes.
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