Human skin is a unique material, characterized above all flexibility. Thanks to this, our skin does not crack when, for example, we have to closing. One more distinctive property - sensitivity to stimuli that are assessed as electric signals, therefore, it must conduct electricity.

Moreover, the ability to heal itself, because the daily use of any product will inevitably lead to wear and tear. Researchers in California have developed a synthetic version: polymer skin, are capable of restoring, preserving the mechanical and electrical properties. The work published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

The material is supramolecular organic polymer + incorporating nanoparticles Nickel metal. Due to the polymer artificial skin" gains the ability to heal itself: in cut it spliced, and thanks to the Nickel acquires such property, as conductivity. To demonstrate how this works in practice, scientists using a scalpel completely cut material, when the cut edges joined, was bonding within 15 seconds. In addition, 98 % recovered conductivity. Interestingly, like cutting and pasting was carried out not once.

John bouland (John J. Boland), researcher CRANN (science Foundation Ireland-funded Institute of nanoscience on the basis of "Trinity College Dublin") noted: "I think this is a real breakthrough. For the first time we saw the embodiment of a combination of mechanical and electrical repair. But with a scalpel cut the material quite accurately, in cut fabric strongly deformed". Therefore, he expressed the fear that the result may appear significant scarring, and the full process of self-recovery will be impossible.

Lead author of the study Zhenan Bao (Zhenan Bao) of Stanford University says: "I think that will be very interesting if we can create flexible "skin", because the present sample inherent flexibility, but it is not able to stretch. But it definitely means that we are close to creating a new generation of self-healing skin"