Category Technology/Electronics

These schematics show the printing of water in oil using a nanoparticle supersoap. Gold nanoparticles in the water combine with polymer ligands in the oil to form an elastic film (nanoparticle supersoap) at the interface, locking the structure in place. Credit: Berkeley Lab

Reconfigurable material could be used for liquid electronics and chemical synthesis, among other applications. Scientists from the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have developed a way to print 3D structures composed entirely of liquids. Using a modified 3D printer, they injected threads of water into silicone oil – sculpting tubes made of one liquid within another liquid.

They envision their all-liquid material could be used to construct liquid electronics that power flexible,...

Pieces of flexible, rechargeable yarn batteries can be connected in series to power electroluminescent panel displays. Credit: American Chemical Society

When someone thinks about knitting, they usually don’t conjure up an image of sweaters and scarves made of yarn that can power watches and lights. But that’s just what one group is reporting in ACS Nano. They have developed a rechargeable yarn battery that is waterproof and flexible. It also can be cut into pieces and still work.

Most people are familiar with smartwatches, but for wearable electronics to progress, scientists will need to overcome the challenge of creating a device that is deformable, durable, versatile and wearable while still holding and maintaining a charge...

Gif of the device in action. Probes inject positive and negative charges in the light emitting device, which is transparent under the campanile outline, producing bright light. Credit: Javey lab

UC Berkeley engineers have built a bright-light emitting device that is millimeters wide and fully transparent when turned off. The light emitting material in this device is a monolayer semiconductor, just 3 atoms thick. The device opens the door to invisible displays on walls and windows – displays that would be bright when turned on but see-through when turned off – or in futuristic applications such as light-emitting tattoos, according to the researchers...

Researchers have developed multifunctional origami structures, which they then fabricated into 4D printed objects. The design principle mimics the structure of an earwig’s wing. When open, the earwig wing expands 10X larger than when closed – one of the highest folding ratios in the animal kingdom. The large wing area allows the insect to fly, while the compact way the wings retracts enables the creature to tunnel underground without damaging its wings. The wing design has another unique feature; however, in its open, locked state the wing remains stiff with no need for muscle power to provide stability. With just one “click,” the wing folds into itself completely, without muscular actuation.

Researchers at ETH Zurich and Purdue University have been studying the secret of the earwig’s ori...