Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed a skin-like material that changes colour.
Chameleon
Research published in the journal Science, shows that the material behaves in a similar way to biological tissues and changes colours when stretched, much like chameleon skin.
The material could be beneficial for the development of new biomedical devices and implants, the researchers believe. Since the material is biocompatible it could mitigate the risk of inflammation or necrosis when medical devices and implants are used.
Speaking about the research, UNC-Chapel Hill chemist Sergei Sheiko and co-author of the study, said: “Our body can be viewed as an aging car that constantly needs replacement parts. Given the steadily aging population, this creates a pressing need for better and more diverse materials for biomedical devices. One key demand is that these materials closely mimic the mechanics of living tissue.”
“Until now, synergistically integrating mechanical and optical performance has been a big material design challenge because we are essentially trying to mimic the skin of James Cameron’s Avatar: soft on touch, stiff upon deformation and coloured for appeal or camouflage,” Sheiko said.
To achieve this, the research team developed a polymer with elastic properties and encoded it with both mechanical and optical properties of natural systems. In animals, the mechanical and optical properties of biological tissue act as defence properties. Skin can stiffen to prevent injury or in the case of chameleons, change colour to act as camouflage.
“The design-by-architecture approach reported in our paper will open the door for making materials a soft as brain tissue and as stiff as skin — ideal for direct use as implants for reconstructive surgery and drug delivery,” Sheiko added.