Unveiling of fibers with self-healing and exposure capabilities

A research team has succeeded in developing flexible fibers with self-healing, light-emitting and magnetic properties that can enhance human-robot interaction. These fibers, known as SHINE, are made of ion-coated hydrogel and an electroluminescent (light-emitting) nickel core, and have special capabilities such as self-healing after damage and highly visible light emission. Even after being cut, these fibers are able to regenerate themselves and can recover almost 100% of their original brightness.

According to the scientific media service of Tekna Technology News, these features have made SHINE fibers have the potential for applications such as light emitting soft robots and interactive displays. Additionally, they can be woven into smart fabrics. The research, published on December 3, 2024 in the journal Nature Communications, was conducted by researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

Researchers of this team stated: “We are looking to develop sustainable materials that can emit light and test new forms such as fibers to expand application scenarios such as smart fabrics. One of the ways to make these devices is to create self-healing properties in them, similar to biological tissues such as skin.”

Light-emitting fibers have become a growing field due to the ability to combine different properties such as light emission, self-healing, and magnetic actuator capability. These features can help improve human-robot interaction and create faster and more intuitive responses. In particular, SHINE fibers, developed by the National University of Singapore research team, combine these features in a scalable device, solving the previous challenges of this type of fiber.

These fibers feature a coaxial design that combines a nickel core for magnetic reactivity, a zinc sulfide-based electroluminescence layer for light emission, and a hydrogel electrode for transparency. Using an ion-induced gelation process, the research team was able to create 5.5-meter-long fibers that retained their functionality even after nearly a year of storage in the open air.

“Our SHINE fibers have a record luminance of 1,068 cd/m², which easily exceeds the threshold of 300 to 500 cd/m², and are also well visible in bright indoor environments,” said Associate Professor Benjamin T, the senior researcher of this study.

One of the prominent features of SHINE fibers is their self-healing ability. These fibers are repaired in environmental conditions through the regeneration of chemical bonds and can restore more than 98% of their original brightness. Also, the nickel core and the electroluminescent layer recover their structural and functional integrity by heat-induced dipole interactions at 50°C. Professor T added: This feature enables the reuse of damaged fibers and makes this invention more stable in the long run.

These fibers also have the characteristic of magnetic operator which is activated by the nickel core. This feature makes it possible to manipulate fibers using external magnetic fields. “This feature allows applications such as light-emitting soft robots that can move in tight spaces and perform optical signaling in real time,” said Dr. Fu Shuomi, first author of the paper.

SHINE fibers can be used as main materials in smart fabrics that have the ability to emit light and self-heal. These features, in addition to improving the durability and performance of wearable technologies, provide the possibility of use in soft robots and interactive displays. In the future, the research team plans to improve the texture of these fibers and add sensing capabilities such as temperature and humidity detection. This new technology can have many applications in different industries. To see other news, visit Tekna’s scientific research page.