{"id":2000106776,"date":"2026-03-29T12:44:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T10:44:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/?p=2000106776"},"modified":"2026-03-29T12:44:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T10:44:10","slug":"scientists-develop-clear-nail-polish-that-lets-people-use-touchscreens-with-long-nails","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/scientists-develop-clear-nail-polish-that-lets-people-use-touchscreens-with-long-nails\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientists develop clear nail polish that lets people use touchscreens with long nails"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The idea came from a common frustration \u00a0 trying to tap a smartphone screen with long nails. Modern touchscreen technology works by sensing changes in an electric field when a conductive surface (like a fingertip) touches it. Nonconductive materials, like nails, don\u2019t make that change, so the device doesn\u2019t respond. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To solve this, the researchers experimented with dozens of formulas to find one that helps nails carry just enough electrical charge without being harmful or visibly cloudy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After testing more than 50 different additives mixed into clear nail polish bases, the team found a promising combination of taurine (a safe organic compound found in many foods) and ethanolamine (a simple organic molecule). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This formula was enough to let a touchscreen register contact from nails coated with the polish. \u201cOur final, clear polish could be put over any manicure or even bare nails,\u201d said one of the researchers, explaining that the approach could benefit users with calluses or other fingertip challenges too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike previous attempts that used conductive metals or carbon materials\u00a0 which can be dangerous if inhaled during manufacturing and can make the polish dark or heavy\u00a0 the new formula stays clear and safer for everyday use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The researchers believe the polish works through a chemical interaction that allows tiny charged particles (protons) to move when the screen\u2019s electrical field is present, helping the device detect the touch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the early results are promising, the polish isn\u2019t yet ready for commercial sale. Even the best mixtures only last a few hours on nails because ethanolamine evaporates quickly, and researchers are still searching for a fully nontoxic ingredient that works as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team says they are continuing their work and have even submitted a provisional patent for this approach.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A new clear nail polish could let people use their fingernails on touchscreens by helping them carry a tiny electrical charge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Researchers have created a new type of clear nail polish that could allow people with long manicures to use smartphones and tablets more easily. Many devices with capacitive touchscreens don\u2019t register touches from long nails because nails don\u2019t carry enough electrical charge. This forces users to awkwardly tap with their fingertips instead. A team of chemists from Centenary College of Louisiana is now working on a polish that can help nails become conductive enough for touchscreens to detect them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":139,"featured_media":2000106777,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"byline":[201],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000106776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","byline-rania-umutoni"],"bylines":[{"id":201,"name":"Rania Umutoni","slug":"rania-umutoni","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":139}],"contributors":[{"id":201,"name":"Rania Umutoni","slug":"rania-umutoni","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":139}],"featured_image":{"id":2000106777,"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/woman-long-fingernails-touchscreen-smartphone.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":1920,"height":1080,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/woman-long-fingernails-touchscreen-smartphone.jpg","width":150,"height":84},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/woman-long-fingernails-touchscreen-smartphone.jpg","width":300,"height":169},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/woman-long-fingernails-touchscreen-smartphone.jpg","width":768,"height":432},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/woman-long-fingernails-touchscreen-smartphone.jpg","width":1024,"height":576},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/woman-long-fingernails-touchscreen-smartphone.jpg","width":1920,"height":1080}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000106776","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/139"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000106776"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000106776\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2000106778,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000106776\/revisions\/2000106778"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000106777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000106776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000106776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000106776"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=2000106776"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=2000106776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}