New ‘miracle’ material could be the end of shattered iPhones

British researchers have created a new “miracle material” that could finally save the world from “the misery of cracked smartphone screens.”

Scientists at Belfast’s Queen’s University have created a brand new type of material which could make mobiles phones lighter, tougher and much more durable.

Researchers from the Northern Irish university worked with colleagues from Stanford University, the University of California and the National Institute for Materials Science in Japan to develop the substance.

It uses a number of chemicals including graphene, which is 200 times stronger than steel. The findings were published in ACS Nano.

The material also incorporates a carbon molecule called C60 which could allow phones to be solar powered.

Currently, phones are made from silicon and other compounds which are “expensive and break easily.”

Elton Santos of the university’s school of mathematics and physics said: “Our findings show that this new ‘miracle material’ has similar physical properties to silicon but it has improved chemical stability, lightness and flexibility, which could potentially be used in smart devices and would be much less likely to break.”

“The material also could mean that devices use less energy than before because of the device architecture so could have improved battery life and less electric shocks.”

“By bringing together scientists from across the globe with expertise in chemistry, physics and materials science we were able to work together and use simulations to predict how all of the materials could function when combined – and ultimately how these could work to help solve everyday problems.”

“This cutting-edge research is timely and a hot-topic involving key players in the field, which opens a clear international pathway to put Queen’s on the roadmap of further outstanding investigations.”