Created a conductive material that can take any shape

Malleable like one plastic, conductive as a metal: and the new material that a group of researchers from the University of Chicago, in the United States, managed to create and that seems to promise notable applications in the future. According to the results of the study, published in the journal Naturescientists have found a way to accomplish a polymer capable of conducting electricity very efficiently (one of the fundamental properties of metals, which however show a molecular structure different from those of polymers) and which can remain stable even when heated, refrigerated, exposed to air or chemicals. According to the researchers, the new material will take any formbe used as paint or sprayed like a spray and it will be useful for making the electronic components of numerous electronic devicessuch as wearables.

Looking for new conductors

In smartphones, televisions, solar panels and all kinds of electronic devices there are: i conductorsmaterials that have such characteristics as to make flow electric current inside them. The conductors known since ancient times are the metals (such as copper, gold, aluminum) which, in addition to common macroscopic characteristics, they share among them too the molecular structure: they, in fact, at the microscopic level are made up of rows of atoms or molecules close together and arranged in an orderly manner, so that electrons can flow easily through the entire material, thus allowing the electric current to flow freely. To combine the ability to conduct electricity with the flexibility of other non-metallic materials, scientists managed to create organic materials that were also conductors, using a chemical treatment known as “doping”, which consists in the introduction of atoms or ions into the material to modify its electronic characteristics. The problem with these materials is that they are not very stable and can lose their conductivity when exposed to high temperatures or humidity.

For this reason, scientists are looking for new ways to create materials conductors that they are stable and that they can have numerous technological applications. Among these, Jiaze Xie, first author of the study, began experimenting with some materials discovered years ago, but ignored by the rest of the scientific community: in particular, the scientist focused on a polymer formed by chains of sulfur, carbon and hydrogen molecules to which they were added nickel atoms at regular intervals. Studying this material through specific analyzes, with great amazement, the researchers found that it was capable of conduct electricity easily and that was it very stable. “We heated it, cooled it, exposed it to air and moisture, and even exposed it to chemicals like acids and bases, but nothing happened“Xie said.

“A conductive Play-Doh”

However, the feature that amazed the researchers the most is the molecular structure of the material, which, unlike metals and organic materials created with doping, was disordered, while managing to conduct electricity. “Because of its structure, that material shouldn’t be able to be a metal“said John S. Anderson, senior author of the study.”There is no single theory to explain its behavior. “By investigating its characteristics further, the researchers concluded that the polymer is probably capable of form a series of layers at the molecular levelwhich, when they rotate sideways, allowwhile not forming an orderly pile, electrons to move and therefore to determine the passage of current. The end result is totally new for a conductive material. “It’s almost like a conductive Play-Doh – you can squeeze it into place and it conducts electricity“Anderson said.

This sparked the creativity and interest of the researchers, because it comes to a totally new design principle compared to what we have seen so far. “This opens up the design of a whole new class of materials that conduct electricity, are easy to shape and are very robust in everyday conditions.“Anderson said.”In essence, it suggests new possibilities for an extremely important technological group of materials“Xie added. The material, in fact, could be worked in many different ways and also used in situations where a device that resists heat, humidity, acidity or alkalinity and much of what has hitherto limited engineers to develop new technologies. “We expect these materials to be more robust electrical conductors and can be easily sprayed or painted onto surfaces or other devices, such as those from wearable technologies.“Anderson told al Guardian. In fact, the research team is already hard at work to find out what forms the polymer can assume and, above all, what else can it do.