College of Engineering assistant professor Anming Hu at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville who developed the method said that being able to design the circuit you want and then print it out allows for more responsive designs, easier control, and lower costs.
"The ability to print out the exact circuit you need the moment you need it can revolutionise a number of things," Hu said.
One of the biggest advancements made possible by the technology could be in the world of medicine, researchers believe.
With a paper circuit enclosed in a liquid-proof barrier, those same patients could one day have a sensor implanted in them that could not only detect when their levels were out of kilter, but also signal itself to release insulin into their body.
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"We use silver to make the nanowire. It's still much cheaper than making electric circuits the 'normal' way, and it holds up far better than copper, which has a tendency to oxidise too quickly," Hu said.
Hu's team was able to fold the paper-thin circuit 5,000 times with a high level of functionality still intact.
While medical uses could have the most day-to-day impact for such circuits, their flexibility and ease of use means anything electronic could benefit.