Feed: Slashdot
Feed Link: https://slashdot.org/
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Title: Color-Changing Organogel Stretches 46 Times Its Size and Self-Heals

Link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/25/09/17/2...

alternative_right shares a report from Phys.org: Scientists from Taiwan have
developed a new material that can stretch up to 4,600% of its original length
before breaking. Even if it does break, gently pressing the pieces together
at room temperature allows it to heal, fully restoring its shape and
stretchability within 10 minutes. The sticky and stretchy polyurethane (PU)
organogels were designed by combining covalently linked cellulose
nanocrystals (CNCs) and modified mechanically interlocked molecules (MIMs)
that act as artificial molecular muscles. The muscles make the gel sensitive
to external forces such as stretching or heat, where its color changes from
orange to blue based on whether the material is at rest or stimulated. Thanks
to these unique properties, the gels hold great promise for next-generation
technologies -- from flexible electronic skins and soft robots to anti-
counterfeiting solutions. The findings have been published in the journal
Advanced Functional Materials.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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