Electronic devices might soon have a new component after scientists from the University of Chicago invented a new intriguing material. The outcome can be made like plastic, but at the same time, conduct electricity more like metal, according to SciTechDaily.
The discovery can turn out to be extremely important for science and technological appliances. Here’s what John Anderson has to say, who’s the senior author of the study, as the publication mentioned above quotes:
In principle, 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.
Jiaze Xie, the study paper’s first author, said:
Essentially, it suggests new possibilities for an extremely important technological group of materials.
Xie used nickel atoms to put them into a string of molecular beads that are made of carbon and sulfur. The material was able to conduct electricity, and it was very stable. Scientists were amazed.
It was challenging to understand how the new material could conduct electricity. Scientists suspect that the material can form layers, similar to sheets in a lasagna. Electrons can move horizontally or vertically even if the sheets rotate sideways and no longer form a neat lasagna stack.
Back in February, we shared similar news about a new material that’s stronger than steel but light as plastic.
Michael Strano, who’s the senior author of that study, explained, as SciTechDaily quotes, how important the discovery was:
We don’t usually think of plastics as being something that you could use to support a building, but with this material, you can enable new things
It has very unusual properties and we’re very excited about that.
The new study was published in Nature.
