Stretchy, Bendable Gold Electronics Could be Implanted in the Brain (Video)

Imagine bendable, stretchable gold. Now, imagine if that gold material could form its own "veins." Scientists may have created a material that can do just that. They've developed a network of spherical, gold nanoparticles embedded in elastic material. The new findings could pave the way for flexible electronics which could have enormous implications for medical use.

Finding good conductors that still work when pulled to twice their length is difficult. In the past, researchers have tried wires in tortuous zigzag or spring-like patterns, liquid metals, nanowire networks and more. In this case, though, the scientists embedded gold nanoparticles in polyurethane and then tested the new material.

The researchers examined the gold as it stretched by using an electron microscope to image it at various tensions. These nanoparticles started out dispersed, but under strain they could filter through the minuscule gaps in the polyurethane.

"We found that nanoparticles aligned into a chain form when stretching," said Yoonseob Kim, one of the researchers, in a news release. "That can make excellent conducting pathways."

In all, the scientists made two versions of their material. One involved building it in alternating layers; the other involved filtering a liquid containing polyurethane and nanoparticle clumps to leave behind a mixed layer. The layer-by-layer design was more conductive while the filtered version made for extremely supple materials.

While the two different versions had somewhat different properties, both developed the blood-vessel-like web of nanoparticles when they were stretched. These "webs" disappeared when the tension was released.

So what are these materials good for? They could potentially be used as electrodes. More specifically, they could be utilized in brain implants. Because the new material is flexible, it could avoid damaging cells since it moves in the same way as brain tissue.

"They can alleviate a lot of diseases--for instance, severe depression, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease," said Nicholas Kotov, one of the researchers, in a news release. "They can also serve as a part of artificial limbs and other prosthetic devices controlled by the brain."

The new materials don't only have implications for medical implantations, though. They could also be used as flexible transistors for computing. Elastic semiconductors could extend the lives of lithium-ion batteries, which could be extremely useful.

Currently, the scientists are exploring various nanoparticle fillers for stretchable electronics, including less expensive metals and semiconductors.

Want to learn more? Check out the video below, courtesy of YouTube.