Tech-friendly manicure: touchscreen-compatible nail polish is almost here

Your manicure could soon be receiving a technological upgrade as researchers continue to develop touchscreen-compatible nail polish.

Long nails have long been the bane of many touchscreen device users, but a solution might be on the horizon.

A team from Centenary College of Louisiana has formulated a clear nail polish that enables nail-to-touchscreen compatibility.

Modern devices use captive touchscreen technology, which works by creating a small electric field across the screen, the American Chemical Society explains.

When a conductor, such as a finger or a water droplet, interrupts that electric field, the surface changes its capacitance, and the device interprets that change as a touch.

This is how typical tech, like smartphones and tablets allow users to control the device.

However, those with long nails struggle to use touchscreens because their nails lack conductivity.

But one student from Centenary College, who had a particular interest in cosmetic chemistry, sought to make this issue obsolete.

While this isn’t a new idea, as manufacturers have attempted to make conductive nail polishes in the past, many of the formulations included harmful substances that proved toxic if inhaled.

So, the student researcher and her supervisor set out to create a clear, non-toxic nail polish that could turn a user’s nails into conductors.

The researcher used 13 clear-coat nail polishes available on the market and over 50 different additives to determine the best combination for the most effective conductive topcoat.

Certain molecules, like taurine, a naturally occurring amino acid produced by the body, and ethanolamine, performed the best during tests.

While ethanolamine provides the best conductivity and polish compatibility for the topcoat, it is a harsh chemical and can be dangerous when used incorrectly.

Further issues presented themselves. For example, ethanolamine evaporates quickly after application, so the topcoat would only last a few hours.

Researchers also noted that they would prefer a totally non-toxic formula.

Despite setbacks, this combination of the two chemical compounds proved to be somewhat of a breakthrough, as previously, chemists believed that conductive materials like certain metals and carbon nanotubes were the answer.

However, researchers at Centenary College of Louisiana believe that their polish works through acid-based chemistry instead.

This hypothesis was reached because ethanolamine-based formulas release protons, which redistribute the charge.

So, when this experimental nail polish makes contact with the touchscreen’s electric field, it forces protons to jump between molecules, which changes the polish’s capacitance just enough for the smartphone to recognize it as touch.

While researchers haven’t uncovered the perfect formula for touchscreen-compatible nails, the initial results are promising, the American Chemical Society said.

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