Self-healing electronics made possible by immune-inspired nanomotors

Self-healing electronics are a step closer after scientists built self-propelled nanomotors inspired by the human immune system. Presenting at the 251st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the researchers say their work could lead to flexible batteries, electrodes, solar cells and other gadgets that heal themselves.

“Electronic circuits are very sophisticated these days,” said Jinxing Li, a PhD candidate in the lab of Joseph Wang at the University of California at San Diego.

“But a crack, even an extremely small one, can interrupt the flow of current and eventually lead to the failure of a device. Traditional electronics can be fixed with soldering, but repairing advanced electronics on a nanoscale requires innovation.”

Fixing nanocircuits, battery electrodes and other electronic components when they break remains a challenge, especially when gadgets are integrated into clothes or located in remote places. An ideal solution to this issue is to create devices that can fix themselves. Nature proved to be a source of inspiration for the researchers.

“If you cut your finger, for example, platelets will automatically localise at the wound location and help start the healing process,” Li said. “So what we wanted to do is create and use extremely small robots to perform the same function, except in an electronic system.”

Wang’s team collaborated with a University of Pittsburgh team headed by Anna Balazs, PhD. They designed and built nanoparticles out of gold and platinum, powered by hydrogen peroxide. The platinum prompts the hydrogen peroxide to break down into water and oxygen, which propels the particles. During testing, the nanomotors zoomed over the surface of a broken electronic circuit that was connected to an LED. When they encountered a scratch, they became lodged in it and bridged the gap between the two sides. Being made of conductive materials, they enabled the current to flow again, completing the circuit and lighting up the LED.

Li said an ideal application is for difficult-to-repair electronic components such as the conductive layer of solar cells, which are subject to harsh environmental conditions and prone to scratching. They could also be used to heal flexible sensors and batteries, which Wang’s lab is also working on.

Originally published here.