‘Nano-accordion’ enables stretchable, transparent conductors

The conductors could be used in a wide variety of applications, such as flexible electronics, stretchable displays or wearable sensors, claim researchers at North Carolina State University.

“There are no conductive, transparent and stretchable materials in nature, so we had to create one,” said Abhijeet Bagal, a Ph.D. student in mechanical and aerospace engineering at NC State and lead author of a paper describing the work. “Our technique uses geometry to stretch brittle materials, which is inspired by springs that we see in everyday life. The only thing different is that we made it much smaller.”

According to NC State, the researchers began by creating a three-dimensional polymer template on a silicon substrate. The template is shaped like a series of identical, evenly spaced rectangles and is coated with a layer of aluminium-doped zinc oxide, which is the conducting material. An elastic polymer is also applied to the zinc oxide. The researchers then turn the structure over to remove the silicon and the template.