Electronic paper like that used in Kindles and other e-readers uses just a fraction of the energy of tablets and smartphones, as they require no backlight to illuminate text and images. This is because they feature reflective screens with electrically conductive polymers that reflect and absorb ambient light, mimicking the way our eyes process information on regular paper.

This allows for displays that use minimal energy, are easier on the eyes, and can be worked into thin and even flexible forms. One aspect of this technology that has proven challenging, however, is in producing electronic paper with full-color displays, or at least of the same quality as we’re used to on our tablets and phones. Advances are being made with various full-color screens and tablets, and right at the cutting edge of this process are the chemical engineers behind this latest study.

In 2016, the team introduced a flexible, full-color e-paper that uses 10 times less energy than a Kindle, with a thickness of less than 1 micron. This display featured electrically conductive components laid over the top of a pixelated surface and used a combination of red, green, and blue pixels to produce different colors, though at sub-optimal quality.

To address this, the scientists leveraged a new porous material made of trioxide, gold, and platinum and used that as their electrically conductive component. This was laid beneath the pixelated surface rather than over the top of it as before, which means the user looks directly at the pixels and obtains a much clearer view of the colors on show. So much so, the team says this new display clearly outperforms the latest commercially available e-readers in terms of color and brightness.

One area the team would like to improve on is the use of rare metals, in this case, gold and platinum. Because the display is so thin, it only requires small amounts of these materials, but the scientists hope to continue refining the design so that less and less of them are needed. They say the technology could one day be used in phones, tablets, and outdoor billboard-type displays, and imagine that in the right hands, maybe commercialized sooner rather than later.

According to New Atlas