It looks like gold, bends like plastic, and can carry electricity.
A new recipe for making electrically conductive plastic could open the door to a future where our bodies connect directly to phones, wearable devices, and even medical implants.
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have created a way to make this unusual material faster, safer, and more cheaply than ever before.
The breakthrough could transform how we build electronics for health care, energy, and everyday life.
Conductive plastics, also known as conjugated polymers, are not new to science. They have been studied for decades because they combine the flexibility of plastic with the ability to carry an electric charge like metal.
But until now, producing them in large amounts has been expensive and often required toxic chemicals. For example, just 100 grams of the material can currently cost around $100,000—ten times the price of gold.
That makes the new discovery especially exciting.
“Once higher production volumes are achieved, it is possible to work with the material in a completely different way,” says Christian Müller, professor of chemistry and chemical engineering at Chalmers.
“Larger quantities are needed to enable the development of a range of applications, for example in biotechnology, energy storage, and wearable electronics.”
In the lab, doctoral student Joost Kimpel demonstrates how the material sparkles like gold but can be easily molded with his fingers.
Unlike metals, which can corrode inside the body, this plastic is biocompatible—meaning human tissue tolerates it. That makes it ideal for medical uses, from health-monitoring patches that send signals to your phone to implants that help deliver drugs or sense infections.
Researchers imagine conductive plastic being used in self-cooling clothing, electronic plasters, and prosthetic devices that communicate with the nervous system. Because the material is organic, it avoids the need for rare earth elements, reducing environmental impact and making recycling easier.
The team’s breakthrough came almost by accident. During a routine experiment, they noticed the chemical reaction was happening too quickly.
To slow it down, they reduced the heat. That simple change revealed that the material could be produced at room temperature, without harmful chemicals, in fewer steps and with far less energy use.
“The ingredients in our ‘recipe’ are safe for industrial production, unlike the highly toxic substances usually required,” says Kimpel, first author of the study published in Science Advances.
“Avoiding toxic chemicals means a safer work environment for staff, peace of mind for consumers, and simpler recycling. It also cuts costs, since handling dangerous substances requires expensive equipment and strict procedures.”
Even though the study was published only recently, the method has already sparked interest worldwide. Researchers at other universities are contacting the Chalmers team, eager to explore new applications. What’s more, the material made with this new process turned out to conduct electricity even better than expected, suggesting it could be used in more powerful electronic devices.
The process begins with two aromatic compounds—thienothiophene and bithiophene—dissolved in a safe liquid solvent with the help of a palladium catalyst. As the molecules link together, the solution changes color from yellow to red to deep purple. After a careful washing and evaporation process, the result is a shimmering, gold-colored substance that can be shaped and tested.
The next step, according to Müller, is to scale up production so that industries can experiment with real-world uses. “The possibilities are great, but it’s ultimately up to society and the market to decide what will be developed,” he says. “It’s a big step from the lab to industrial-scale production, but we hope this new method will be of benefit.”
With its golden glitter, moldable texture, and ability to safely integrate with the human body, this conductive plastic might be the missing link between people and the next generation of electronics—one that turns science fiction into everyday reality.
Source: Chalmers University of Technology.
