A brand-new substance that is easy to mold, like plastic, but can conduct electricity as a metal has been developed by scientists in a recent study. Even they cannot explain it, according to a report by The Independent.
This information can be found in a new research study titled "Intrinsic glassy-metallic transport in an amorphous coordination polymer," released Wednesday, Oct. 26, by the journal Nature.
A Plastic-like Material That Can Conduct Electricity?
In the latest research, the scientists stated that they had generated a new form of substance in which the pieces are not in order but rather are jumbled together. Despite this, it is still capable of conducting electricity quite effectively.
Based on the study's findings, the material can endure being twisted about, squished, and molded into various configurations. The people who came up with the idea compare it to "conductive Play-Doh" because it can be shaped differently yet will still enable electricity to pass through it.
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This May Enable New Methods of Manufacturing Electrical Devices
The researchers who discovered the finding believe it will pave the door for novel approaches to the production of electrical devices.
For instance, the design of a modern chip or gadget is constrained by the need to melt metal into the desired form, which might result in issues for other components. On the other hand, the new material can be fabricated at ambient temperature, reducing the likelihood of adverse effects.
Additionally, the material's resistance to high temperatures, high humidity, and strong acids and bases implies it might be utilized to make electronics that function in environments where more conventional materials would be destroyed.
No Solid Hypothesis Can Even Explain it
The substance can be molded much like plastic, yet it conducts electricity far more effectively than metal. The finding is surprising to scientists since it contradicts what they would anticipate seeing, and they believe it may pave the way for new sorts of discoveries.
John Anderson, an associate professor of chemistry at the University of Chicago and the senior author of the study, said in a statement, "In principle, this opens up the design of a whole new class of materials that conduct electricity, are easy to shape, and are very robust in everyday conditions."
However, he pointed out that from a basic viewpoint, this material "should not be able to be a metal" as there is no credible hypothesis to explain this.
Scientists have invented a number of conductive materials, and the variations between them have enabled us to construct a wide range of electrical gadgets that function in various environments.
Despite these variations, there are certain commonalities across conductive materials. Scientists believed they still needed straight, closely packed atoms or molecules to carry electricity.
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Written by Trisha Kae Andrada
