Electronic skin, known as e-skin, is a thin, translucent material that can mimic the function and mechanical properties of human skin, according to a study published in the journal Science Advances.
The new e-skin has sensors embedded to measure pressure, temperature, humidity and air flow.
The technology has several distinctive properties, including a novel type of covalently bonded dynamic network polymer, known as polyimine.
The polyimine has been laced with silver nanoparticles to provide better mechanical strength, chemical stability and electrical conductivity.
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"Given the millions of tons of electronic waste generated worldwide every year, the recyclability of our e-skin makes good economic and environmental sense," Xiao said.
Another benefit of the new e-skin is that it can be easily conformed to curved surfaces like human arms and robotic hands by applying moderate heat and pressure to it without introducing excessive stresses.
"Let's say you wanted a robot to take care of a baby," said Wei Zhang from the University of Colorado Boulder.
To recycle the skin, the device is soaked into recycling solution, making the polymers degrade into oligomers (polymers with polymerization degree usually below 10) and monomers (small molecules that can be joined together into polymers) that are soluble in ethanol.
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