Can you make OLED screens with human hair?

In an attempt to find more sustainable sources for making electronics, a research team at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) have found a rather unexpected one. They collected discarded hair clippings from a local barber shop and used it to make OLED screens.

This is possible because of the nitrogen and carbon found in human hair, which are also common substances used to make light-emitting particles. The team heated the hair to 464 degrees, effectively burning it, in order to turn it into a carbon- and nitrogen-filled material. This material was then turned into 10-nanometer carbon nanodots and distributed into a polymer where they would clump together in little “nano-islands.” Those dots will glow blue when a small voltage is applied. 

Unfortunately, that glow isn’t very bright, so this wouldn’t be a very effective way to build screens for things like smartphones or computers. However, the team thinks that it would work well for smaller devices like wearables or even medical devices, since the source material is non-toxic.