The Key to Flexible Electronics? A Soup Ingredient...

The problem with conventional electronic components is that they tend to separate and shatter when subjected to pressure or bent out of their rigid shape. That means that for smart clothing, skin-worn devices and gadgets that need to be flexible, creating the necessary circuits and boards can be a little problematic. However, scientists from Stanford University’s Bao Lab have created an electrode with “uncompromised electrical performance and high stretchability.” In layman’s terms, they have manufactured an electrode that won’t snap in two easily and could, one day, be embedded in heart sensors, LEDs and other technologies. And the key substance is, of all things, an industrial soup thickener. The team, led by Zhenan Bao, the laboratory director, started off by creating a conductive plastic. That worked, but only to a degree as it wasn’t flexible at all. In a bid to overcome their difficulties, Bao and her fellow researchers enlisted the help of the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and its specialist X-ray equipment. By having access to the state-of-the-art X-ray equipment, the team were able to pinpoint the right additive needed to create the perfect formula for stretchy electronics. And, as luck would have it, that turned out to be a molecule similar to those used to thicken soups in industrial-scale kitchens. The substance completely stops the crystallisation process, resulting in a stretchy material that’s suitable for use in electronic circuits. “We thought that if we add insulating material, we would get really poor conductivity,” said Bao. However, thanks to their experience working with flexible polymers, the team managed to craft a thin, translucent and conductive material that works when stretched. By using an inkjet printer, the research group has already managed to create a number of electrodes and stretchable transistor arrays. It is hope that this work will help yield the ‘next generation’ of wearable technology, specifically in the field of wearable and epidermal electronics and bioelectronics. However, it is possible you’ll view that serving of canteen soup in a different way from now on.

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