New Smart Plastic Material Can Be Used to Make Flexible Robots & Electronics

October 15, 2022 By Alberto Mesti

(Image Credit Google)

A novel material that appears to have come straight out of a science fiction film has been created by scientists. According to a recent study released on October 13th, they can alter the hardness and elasticity of molecules using only light and a catalyst. By taking cues from living things like trees and shellfish, the scientists created a special material that is ten times more resilient than natural rubber and may result in more flexible electronics and robots, as first reported by Interesting Engineering. The team succeeded in developing a brand-new substance that is 10 times more resilient than rubber and may lead to more flexible electronics and robotics. This achievement was unique because it involved altering the properties of identical molecules solely with light and a catalyst. Also, this is the first material of its kind, according to the corresponding author and assistant professor of chemistry Zachariah Page. Wearable electronics or actuators in soft robotics may benefit greatly from the ability to control crystallization and, consequently, the material's physical properties, according to Page in a press release. New Smart Plastic Material Can Be Used to Make Flexible Robots & Electronics

New Smart Plastic Material Can Be Used to Make Flexible Robots & Electronics

Page and his colleagues were able to control and alter the structure of a substance that resembled plastic by varying the stiffness or elasticity of the material by means of light. A monomer is a small molecule that joins with other molecules of a similar size to form the building blocks for larger structures known as polymers. Monomers were the starting point for chemists. They are comparable to the polymer that makes up the most common plastic as well. After examining a dozen catalysts, they found one that, when combined with their monomer and exposed to visible light, produced a semicrystalline polymer similar to those found in synthetic rubber. The material became tougher and more rigid where the light touched it while remaining soft and elastic where it wasn't. Since it was made of a single material with distinct properties, the substance was stronger and could be stretched farther than other mixed materials, according to the researchers. The experiment's light source was a cheap blue LED, the monomer and catalyst are easily accessible in the marketplace, and the reaction happened at room temperature.

By Alberto Mesti

Introvert. Eccentric at times. A fashion enthusiast, designer and writer. Lives for the drama, hates being at the centre of it. Can be best described as \'wannabe modern day Lady Whistledown\'.

New Smart Plastic Material Can Be Used to Make Flexible Robots & Electronics

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