Harry Potter's iconic “Invisibility Cloak” may be within our sight.
Chinese scientists have devised a camouflage material whose molecular composition can be adjusted to blend into the background, making it unrecognizable to the wearer. They detailed this cutting-edge cloaking technique in a study published in Science Advances last month.
“Applying this technology to clothing has the potential to make individuals virtually 'invisible',” Wang Dongsheng, a senior researcher at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, told China Science Daily in an interview last week. . The South China Morning Post reported.
The disappearance of the material is facilitated by a process called self-adaptive photochromism (SAP), in which molecules rearrange themselves when exposed to specific wavelengths of light. This changes the color of the substance, making it virtually invisible. The Independent reported.
Think of it as a synthetic version of . chameleon or octopus naturel Cloaking mechanism.
Instead of cells like those in cephalopods that trigger hair to change color, SAP materials are composed of organic dyes and molecules called donor-acceptor Stenhaus adducts that react with chemical and The structural configuration changes.
The solution, which initially appears black in the dark, causes the pigment to migrate spontaneously “when triggered by background transmitted and reflected light,” the scientists wrote.
To assess its effectiveness, the researchers placed translucent containers of the SAP solution inside boxes of different colors, including red, green, yellow, and black. They discovered that the substance adjusted its color accordingly.
In a second test, when the chameleon material was placed in an environment with red, green, or yellow plants in the background, it blended into its surroundings within a minute.
SAP materials are more effective and convenient than man-made invisible systems that rely on external power supplies and complex electronics to function.
Needless to say, the complexity and high price tag of these technologies limit their potential for widespread use.
In contrast, scientists can easily use SAP as a spray coating.
To develop a chemical that can be sprayed onto a variety of surfaces, researchers added polycaprolactone, a biodegradable polyester, to the material, allowing it to effectively transfer this hiding power to solids with the push of a button. I made it.
The researchers predict the technology will have a wide range of applications, from architecture to the military and even “anti-counterfeiting technology,” the researchers wrote.
Scientists hope to expand SAP's color palette to include purple and blue, which are not included in the current version.
“By adding more photochromic molecules or adjusting their composition, we aim to achieve finer distinctions in color and faster change rates,” declared Dr. Wang.
