(May 20, 2015) The rapid evolution of gadgets has brought us an impressive
array of “smart” products from phones to tablets, and now watches and glasses.
But they still haven’t broken free from their rigid form. Now scientists are
reporting in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces a new step
toward bendable electronics. They have developed the first light-emitting,
transparent and flexible paper out of environmentally friendly materials via a
simple, suction-filtration method.
Technology experts have long predicted the coming age of
flexible electronics, and researchers have been working on multiple fronts to
reach that goal. But many of the advances rely on petroleum-based plastics and
toxic materials. Yu-Zhong Wang, Fei Song and colleagues wanted to seek a “greener”
way forward.