A Giant Leap for Science into the Future; Scientists Have Successfully Made Humans Invisible

This study, which was published last month in Science Advances, details this new technology. Wang Dongsheng, the senior researcher in electronics science and technology from China, said in an interview last week: "Applying this technology to clothing can make a person completely invisible."

The invisibility of the material occurs through a process called "reversible self-adaptive color-changing" or "self-adjusting photochromism" (SAP). In this process, molecules are exposed to specific wavelengths of light and align with them, thus organizing themselves according to the light. This causes the material to change color and essentially become invisible. This color adaptation can be considered an artificial version of a chameleon.

The "reversible self-adaptive color-changing" materials are made up of colors and organic molecules called "donor-acceptor Stenhouse adducts," whose chemical and structural composition changes when exposed to light. Scientists note that this material is black in the dark, and its pigments suddenly change color when exposed to light, blending with the background environment.

To test the effectiveness of this material, the researchers placed the "reversible self-adaptive color-changing" solution inside a transparent container and put it in boxes of various colors like red, green, yellow, and black. They found that the solution changed color to match the color of the boxes. In a second experiment, they placed this chameleon-like material against a background of plants with red, green, and yellow colors and observed that the container blended with the surrounding environment within a minute.

The "reversible self-adaptive color-changing" materials are more effective and convenient than man-made camouflage systems, which rely on complex external energy and electronic resources. The complexity and high cost of these technologies limit their widespread use, whereas scientists can easily use SAP spray for camouflage. According to the researchers, this technology can be applied in various fields, from architecture to military use, and even in "anti-counterfeit technology."

Scientists hope to add blue and purple to the SAP color range, which is currently not included. Dr. Wang states that they are working to achieve more precise color distinctions and faster color changes by adding more photochromic colors and adjusting their compositions.