Self-Healing Material Improves Conductivity when Stretched

Jul-24-19 A self-healing material that remains conductive even when strained could have applications in the next generation of wearable devices.

The material was developed by teams from Stanford and KIST Universities in an effort to create a conductive self-healing polymer that would also be comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. The researchers embedded silver nanoparticles in the polymer, which enabled the material to function as an ‘interconnect’ and measure biometric signals from the body. Perhaps most significantly, the polymer will actually increase in conductivity when strained—a characteristic that could open up even more applications for the material.

According to KIST researcher Hyunseon Seo, “Our material is able to function normally even after being subjected to extreme external forces that cause physical damages, and we believe that it will be actively utilized in the development and commercialization of next-generation wearable electronic devices.”

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