Skincare acid creates metal-like, transparent film for wearables

Scientists at La Trobe University have developed a groundbreaking transparent, metal-like polymer film using hyaluronic acid, a compound commonly found in skincare products. By applying hyaluronic acid to a gold surface, the researchers created a highly conductive, flexible polymer called 2D PEDOT, which combines metal-like conductivity with near invisibility. This novel material addresses longstanding challenges in polymer science by offering reproducible, scalable, and industrially viable conductive films that outperform traditional polymers in transparency, flexibility, and electrical performance. The new 2D PEDOT film holds significant promise for advancing wearable technology, touchscreens, biosensors, and medical devices such as drug delivery implants and patient monitoring systems. The technique, known as tethered dopant templating, enables precise control over the polymer’s shape, transparency, and conductivity, overcoming issues of inconsistent quality and poor performance seen in previous conductive polymers. This innovation could transform the future of flexible, transparent electronics, marking a major step forward in smart device technology. The research was