A scientific team at Stanford University in the United States developed the first synthetic material with a sharp touch and rapid healing at room temperature. This progress may result in the emergence of smarter prostheses or more resilient self-healing personal electronics. The research results were published in the November 11 issue of Nature Nanotechnology.
Researchers have been struggling to imitate the superior performance of human skin, such as the skin's tactile sensation (precise information on the pressure and temperature sent to the brain) and its ability to self-heal. Professor Bao Zhennan and his team at the Department of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University successfully integrated the above two properties into a single composite material.
In the past 10 years, significant progress has been made in the study of artificial skin, but even the most effective self-healing materials still have major drawbacks. Some may not be practical because they must be exposed to high temperatures. Some may heal at room temperature, but repairing the wound changes its mechanical or chemical structure, so it can only be used once. Most importantly, there is no self-healing material that has good electrical conductivity.
The Baozhannan team succeeded in achieving the best of both worlds through the mixing of two components—the self-repairing ability of the plastic polymer and the conductivity of the metal. The plastics they use contain hydrogen-bonded long-chain molecules that are easily dissipated. When they are reconnected, hydrogen bonds can recombine themselves and restore the structure of the material.
The researchers added tiny metallic nickel particles to this elastic polymer to increase its mechanical strength. The nanoscale surface of nickel particles is rough, which is crucial for the material to form electrical conductivity. Each of its prominent edges gathers an electric field that makes it easier for current to flow from one particle to the next, making the plastic polymer electrically conductive.
The researchers tested the material's ability to recover mechanical strength and electrical conductivity after damage. They take a thin strip of material and cut it in half. After putting them together for a few seconds, the material can recover 75% of its original mechanical strength and conductivity; if pressed for 30 minutes, the material's performance recovers close to 100%. What's more, the same sample can be cut repeatedly in the same place. After 50 cuttings and repairs, the flexibility and elongation of the sample are still intact.
The team also explored the varistor properties of the material. The process by which an electron forms an electrical current in a material is similar to jumping across a stream between stones. The nickel particles play a role in the stone. The distance between them determines how much energy an electron needs to jump from one stone to another. Synthetic skin twists or presses can change the distance between nickel particles, which changes the ease of electronic jumping. These subtle changes in resistance can be translated into information about the skin's stress and tension. The researchers said that the material can detect the change in pressure generated by the handshake.
Baozhan Nan said that the material is very sensitive to depression and flexion, so the future prosthesis will have a better curvature at the joint. Electrical equipment and wires covered with this kind of material can also be self-repaired, making maintenance of power no longer difficult and expensive, especially in difficult-to-reach places such as building walls or vehicles. The next goal of the research team is to make the material more transparent and flexible to fit the packaging and coverage of electronic devices or displays. (Reporter Feng Weidong)
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