Natural rubber, best known for making tires and gloves, could also become an eco-friendly ingredient in the next generation of flexible electronics.
These electronics—like smartwatches, wearable health monitors, and soft robots—need to be stretchy, durable, and sometimes even self-powered.
Scientists are now exploring whether natural rubber could be a sustainable and cost-effective solution.
A recent review published in the journal Small looks at how this everyday material might play a big role in making flexible electronics more environmentally friendly.
Unlike many synthetic materials currently used in electronics, natural rubber comes from trees, is biodegradable, and can be harvested with a lower carbon footprint.
This makes it an appealing option as the world looks for greener technology solutions.
The review highlights how natural rubber can be used in different types of stretchable sensors and energy devices.
These include self-powered systems that don’t need batteries, as well as small generators that produce electricity from movement or pressure—called triboelectric nanogenerators. These devices could be especially useful in areas like remote healthcare, fitness tracking, or wearable safety gear.
However, while natural rubber has many great qualities—it’s flexible, stretchy, and tough—it doesn’t conduct electricity very well on its own. That’s why scientists are looking at ways to improve its electrical properties.
Some methods involve blending it with other materials or adding special treatments so it can carry electrical signals without losing its stretchiness.
Dr. Titash Mondal, the lead author of the review and a researcher at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, shared his team’s excitement. “For years, we’ve explored how natural rubber and its derivatives could work in flexible sensors and self-powered devices,” he said. “We’ve found that with the right adjustments, this natural material has a lot of potential.”
The team is now focused on better understanding how these rubber-based systems function and how they can move from the lab to real-world use. They’re also working with potential business partners to help bring these sustainable technologies to market.
While more research and testing are still needed, the future looks promising. If successful, natural rubber could become a key building block in flexible electronics—offering a greener path forward for wearable tech and beyond.
