http://www.sciencemag.org/content/341/6149/984.full
Harvard researchers have demonstrated that electrical charges carried by ions, rather than electrons, can be put to meaningful use in fast-moving, high-voltage devices.
These ionic conductors can be stretched to many times their normal area without an increase in resistivity—a problem common in stretchable electronic devices. They can be transparent, making them well suited for optical applications. The gels used as electrolytes are biocompatible, therefore easy to incorporate ionic devices—such as artificial muscles or skin—into biological systems.
Signals carried by charged ions are the electricity of the human body, allowing neurons to share knowledge and spurring the heart to beat. It is the goal of bioengineers to mesh artificial organs and limbs with that system. Harvard is trying to commercialize the technology for use in tablets, smartphones, wearable electronics, consumer audio devices, and adaptive optics.
Leave a Reply