A group of scientists from the University of California has developed a flexible, electrically conductive material that theoretically is able to harden when stretched or struck. These features make it a very interesting solution that could be key to improving both smartwatches and wearable gadgets in general.

The main value that this material offers is precisely in its ability to adapt its durability and durability to the conditions of use. Thus, under normal conditions it would remain flexible and conductive and become harder and more resistant to sudden blows or pulls. This could improve the lifespan of various components and elements used in smartwatches and wearable gadgets, which normally suffer significant degradation from something as simple as day-to-day use.

So, for example, this material could be used on smart watch strapsand also on the back of the ball this type of device where sensors are normally placed. Medical devices would also benefit from such a material, especially those that are used more intensively and suffer more wear and tear, such as cardiovascular sensors and glucose monitors.

According to lead researcher Jessica Wang, it all started when they realized that when cornstarch is slowly mixed with water, the spoon moves easily in the mixture, but when the spoon is removed and we try to force it back in the surface is hard and it is not at all easy to put the spoon back in. This encouraged Wang’s team to try to recreate this reaction by creating a new material that, as our more advanced readers could imagine, It is based on polymers.

Most polymers break when subjected to sudden and intense impacts or pulls, so they needed to find the right mix of polymers to get a flexible material that was able to harden when subjected to sudden and intense pulls and impacts like cornstarch. The researchers began by combining aqueous solutions with four different polymersand modified the original formula to improve its conductivity and adaptive resilience.

Adding 10% poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) to the mix allowed them to achieve the goal of improving conductivity and durability. They also experimented with small molecules that, when added to the mixture, changed the properties of the polymers. Finally positively charged nanoparticle additives They were the ones that offered the best result because they made the material stronger even under the most intense stretching.

The team already has an early version of this material can be 3D printedand managed to create a replica of a human hand to demonstrate the potential it would also apply in the world of prosthetics. This project is very advanced, so its real-world application may appear in the short or medium term.