Stretchy plastics conduct electricity via tiny, whisker-like fibers

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A stretchy, conductive type of plastic could help power the next generation of implantable biomedical devices, like longer-lasting pacemakers or glucose monitors, according to Enrique Gomez, professor of chemical engineering at Penn State. Using advanced imaging technology to examine a stretchy material commonly used in soft robotics and touchscreens known as PEDOT:PSS, Gomez and his team found that adding different salt additives and water enabled the material to grow...