New nanomaterial ‘could aid future design of wearable electronics’

An international team of nanomaterials researchers have developed an ultrathin film that could hold potential in the design of bendable wearable electronic devices.

Created by the University of Illinois at Chicago and Korea University, the ultrathin film is both transparent and highly conductive to electric current, and can be produced using a cheap and simple method.

A mat of tangled nanofibre is electroplated to form a self-junctioned copper nanostructure comparable to chicken wire, which is flexible and stretchable. It offers a world-record combination of high transparency and electrical resistance at least ten times greater than the previous record.

The team believe the new material could be used in a number of possible applications, including in roll-up touchscreen displays, wearable electronics, flexible solar cells and electronic skin.

Another key aspect of the film's suitability for these purposes is the fact it is also able to retain its properties after repeated cycles of severe stretching or bending.

Alexander Yarin, a distinguished professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said: "It's important, but difficult, to make materials that are both transparent and conductive."