Mr Gutruf said the patch or band could be wirelessly linked to electronic devices such as a mobile phone or tablet which would alert the user to high UV radiation levels.

Published this month in the journal Small the research marks a new direction for such technology, as the transparent material has been developed using a rubber rather than a silicone base for the electronics. The rubber gives the functional part in the device much greater flexibility.

"This has been hard to do because rubber doesn't usually withstand the temperatures of processing," Mr Gutruf said. "And because they are so flexible and stretchable you can integrate them into clothes, backpacks, gloves and so on."

The new material is not limited to detecting and monitoring UV radiation either. The research group's co-leader Madhu Bhaskaran said the zinc oxide could also be tailored to detect toxic gases such as hydrogen and nitrogen dioxide.

Dr Bhaskaran said in industries such as coal-fired power stations, early warning systems which flagged the risk of an explosion were vital. Meanwhile the material could also be used in to monitor nitrogen dioxide levels and pollution in big cities in real time.