Jan. 25, 2007 — The latest development in cosmetic nanotechnology could help stop wrinkles before they start.
When added to thin polymer films used in industry as protective coatings or
transistors, tiny nanoparticles help prevent the materials from buckling in a way that can reduce performance. But researchers think the particles may
have cosmetic applications as well.
"In the industries of biomechanics, artificial skins, plastic surgery,
and cosmetics, controlling and ultimately preventing such unavoidable
wrinkling phenomena is of great interest to many people," said Ilsoon Lee of Michigan State University, who
collaborated on the research with Ph.D. student Troy Hendricks.
Lee thinks that the same technique he developed for polymer films
could be applied to human skin.
Wrinkles, in both polymer films and skin, occur for similar
reasons. External forces, such as those from heat (in the case of
polymers) or muscles (in the case of skin) compress the pliable
substance, causing it to buckle.
In thin film transistors, buckling is bad because it makes the electric current less efficient. But as
computer parts get smaller, and transistors get
thinner, the chance for wrinkling increases exponentially.
When buckling occurs in thin films — used as protective surfaces, antireflective
coatings and lubricating layers — the result can range from small cracks to catastrophic failure.
>Lee and Hendricks suspended nanoparticles in the film
like grapes in a Jello mold. When external forces squeezed the film,
each particle deflected a tiny bit of local tension.
Working together, the particles reduced the overall strain on the film, preventing wrinkles.
