StretchableElectronics
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NCSU creates stretchable conductors from silver nanowires, lets gadgets go the extra inch
As often as we've seen flexible electronics, there haven't been many examples that could stretch -- a definite problem for wearables as well as any gadget that could afford to take a pull or squeeze. North Carolina State University's Yong Zhu and Feng Xu may have covered this gap through a form of silver nanowire conductor that keeps the energy flowing, even if the wire is stretched as much as 50 percent beyond its original length. By coating the nanowires with a polymer that traps the silver when solid, the researchers create an elastic material that can crumple and let the nanowire take the strain without interruption. Although the stretchy conductor's nature as a research project could put any practical use years into the future, Zhu notes that it can take loads of abuse, making it a perfect fit for rugged mobile devices. It should also allow for robots with a gentler touch and a more natural look... although we'll admit we're skittish about the creepy androids likely to follow.
Korean researchers create stretchy transistors made of graphene
Graphene's greatness comes from its flexibility, both figurative -- you can make everything from transparent speakers to stain resistant pants with the stuff -- and literal. And now researchers in Korea have given us another pliable graphene product by creating a stretchy transistor from the carbon allotrope. The trick was accomplished by first layering sheets of graphene on copper foil and bonding it all to a rubber substrate. To complete the transistor channels were etched onto its surface, then electrodes and gate insulators made of ion gel were printed onto the device. What resulted was a transistor that could stretch up to five percent without losing any electrical efficiency, and the plan is to increase its elasticity through continued research. Keep up the good work, fellas, we can't wait for our flexible phone future.
NC State's coiled nanowire discovery could lead to stretchable electronic devices
Cotton may very well be the fabric of our lives, but it'd sure feel a lot better draped across our skin if we could incorporate stretchable electronic devices into it. That's the goal of NC State's own Dr. Yong Zhu, who has worked with a team of gurus to create "the first coils of silicon nanowire on a substrate that can be stretched to more than double their original length." Essentially, this type of breakthrough brings us one (major) step closer to "incorporating stretchable electronic devices into clothing, implantable health-monitoring devices, and a host of other applications." Compared to prior studies on buckling, this particular approach one-ups those focusing on freestanding nanowires, with the new coils' mechanical properties enabling them to be "stretched an additional 104 percent beyond their original length." That's a lot of technobabble, for sure, but what you need to realize is just how amazing your life will be as soon as The Zhu Crew figures out how to improve the reliability of the electrical performance when the coils are stretched to the limit. Flexible PMPs woven into your ski jacket? Bendable LCDs sewn right into your car's headrests? The future... it's here.
