Researchers: Thin, Silver Nanowires May Hold Key to Flexible and Safe Touchscreens
As manufacturers seek to transition from rigid touchscreen displays, which use brittle indium tin oxide, to flexible ones that can bend, roll or fold, they are turning to emerging technologies such as silver nanowires, but their safety has been a concern. To begin to assess potential risk, the scientists investigated nanowires of different lengths and thicknesses for their toxicity to skin cells, and reported their conclusions July 8 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: Thin wires are safer, and work as well or better than thick wires.
“Safety doesn’t have to come with a cost to performance,” said Chris Vulpe, M.D., Ph.D., a co-author of the study and a professor at the UF College of Veterinary Medicine whose expertise is in ecotoxicology.