Khaberni - Researchers developed a prototype nail polish aimed at enabling more people to use touchscreens that depend on electrical charges more easily.
This innovation comes in response to the difficulties encountered by some users, such as those with long nails or those suffering from stiffness in their fingertips, when handling smartphones and tablets.
The prototype was devised by college student Manasi Desai, from Centenary College in Louisiana, in collaboration with her scientific supervisor Joshua Lawrence, associate professor of chemistry at the college. The project's goal was to develop a transparent, non-toxic polish that allows the nail to interact with the touchscreen in the same way a human fingertip does.
Desai mentioned that the polish can be used over any other nail polish or on natural nails, noting that it could also benefit people who suffer from stiffness in their fingertips, adding that the product combines aesthetic appeal with practical application in everyday life. The researchers presented their findings during the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Despite the widespread use of touchscreens, some groups still struggle to use them, such as guitar players and carpenters who develop callused layers on their fingertips, reducing their ability to conduct the necessary electrical current to operate the screen. Consumer Reports dubbed this phenomenon "zombie finger" in 2015. The issue becomes more difficult when wearing gloves, in cases of dry hands, or with long nails.
Touchscreens operate on the principle of "capacitance," where an electric field is generated at the surface of the screen, and when a conductive object like a finger touches it, this field changes, registering the touch. Non-conductive materials like nails do not cause this change, and therefore, the screen does not respond to them.
In this context, previous attempts focused on employing conductive materials such as carbon nanotubes or metallic particles within nail polish, though these materials could pose health risks when inhaled and also had limited color availability.
In this project, Desai tested dozens of formulations of transparent nail polishes and a broad range of added materials, aiming for a formulation that is transparent, non-toxic, and capable of transmitting the electrical signal. It was found that the best results were achieved using a mixture of taurine acid and the organic molecule ethanolamine, which exhibited the ability to respond to touch when applied to the nails.
This innovation relies on acid-base reactions, where the transfer of protons occurs between chemical components, mimicking the function of ions in the skin and allowing for the transmission of the electrical signal to the screen.
Despite promising results, the road is long before the product can be marketed since tests indicate that its effectiveness lasts only for a few hours or days. Researchers are currently working on improving the formula to extend its effective duration to days or weeks while maintaining safety and appearance quality. The current prototype also gives a relatively rough texture, which the team is working to improve.
The researchers have already filed a provisional patent application for this innovation, as they continue to work on developing it to reach a more stable and commercially ready formula.
