Scientists, including several
from the University of California, Riverside, have developed a transparent,
self-healing, highly stretchable conductive material that can be electrically
activated to power artificial muscles and could be used to improve batteries,
electronic devices, and robots. The findings, which represent the first time
scientists have created an ionic conductor, meaning materials that ions can
flow through, that is transparent, mechanically stretchable, and self-healing. The
material has potential applications in a wide range of fields. It could give
robots the ability to self-heal after mechanical failure; extend the lifetime
of lithium ion batteries used in electronics and electric cars; and improve
biosensors used in the medical field and environmental monitoring.
This project brings together the
research areas of self-healing materials and ionic conductors. self-healing
materials repair damage caused by wear and extend the lifetime, and lower the
cost, of materials and devices. Researchers developed an interest in
self-healing materials because of his lifelong love of Wolverine, the comic
book character who has the ability to self-heal. Ionic conductors are a class
of materials with key roles in energy storage, solar energy conversion,
sensors, and electronic devices. Ionic conductors can be used to power
artificial muscles and to create transparent loudspeakers -- devices that
feature several of the key properties of the new material but none of these
devices additionally had the ability to self-heal from mechanical damage.
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