A Conductor to Flex and See Through FEB. 3, 2014
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Posted On: 11/23/2014 9:33:28 PM
A Conductor to Flex and See Through
FEB. 3, 2014
University of Houston researchers say they have developed an electrical conductor that is both highly flexible and transparent, an elusive combination that could help usher in an age of flexible flat-screen televisions and smartphones.
The conductor consists of gold nanomesh electrodes, essentially a network of tightly interconnected, very small gold wires, according to the study, which was published online by Nature Communications. The material is thin enough to achieve “ultrahigh stretchability” — resistance increases only slightly, even at a strain of 160 percent — and porous enough to let light through. Because it is made of gold, it is less likely than silver or copper conductors to lose conductivity to oxidization, the researchers said.
In the quest for electronics that can be rolled or folded, scientists have long sought a conductor that is highly flexible and transparent. They have struggled, however, to achieve both in a material that is adequately conductive, said Zhifeng Ren, a physicist at the University of Houston and lead author of the paper. In addition to being flexible, the conductor for a flexible smartphone must be transparent to accommodate the touch screen. The conductor could find applications in medical devices as well, Dr. Ren said.
Both Samsung and LG have produced cellphones that can bend or curve, but Dr. Ren says his team’s conductor would allow for far more flexible devices. Though the conductor would need to be built and tested at larger sizes, “it’s quite close to application,” he said. “ Not too much extra needs to be done .”
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/04/science/a-c...s&_r=0
FEB. 3, 2014
University of Houston researchers say they have developed an electrical conductor that is both highly flexible and transparent, an elusive combination that could help usher in an age of flexible flat-screen televisions and smartphones.
The conductor consists of gold nanomesh electrodes, essentially a network of tightly interconnected, very small gold wires, according to the study, which was published online by Nature Communications. The material is thin enough to achieve “ultrahigh stretchability” — resistance increases only slightly, even at a strain of 160 percent — and porous enough to let light through. Because it is made of gold, it is less likely than silver or copper conductors to lose conductivity to oxidization, the researchers said.
In the quest for electronics that can be rolled or folded, scientists have long sought a conductor that is highly flexible and transparent. They have struggled, however, to achieve both in a material that is adequately conductive, said Zhifeng Ren, a physicist at the University of Houston and lead author of the paper. In addition to being flexible, the conductor for a flexible smartphone must be transparent to accommodate the touch screen. The conductor could find applications in medical devices as well, Dr. Ren said.
Both Samsung and LG have produced cellphones that can bend or curve, but Dr. Ren says his team’s conductor would allow for far more flexible devices. Though the conductor would need to be built and tested at larger sizes, “it’s quite close to application,” he said. “ Not too much extra needs to be done .”
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/04/science/a-c...s&_r=0
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