Facile fabrication of stretchable Ag nanowire/polyurethane electrodes using high intensity pulsed light

Silver nanowires (AgNWs) have emerged as a promising nanomaterial for next generation stretchable electronics. However, until now, the fabrication of AgNW-based components has been hampered by complex and time-consuming steps. Here, we introduce a facile, fast, and one-step methodology for the fabrication of highly conductive and stretchable AgNW/polyurethane (PU) composite electrodes based on a high-intensity pulsed light (HIPL) technique. HIPL simultaneously improved wire-wire junction conductivity and wire-substrate adhesion at room temperature and in air within 50 mu s, omitting the complex transfer-curing-implanting process. Owing to the localized deformation of PU at interfaces with AgNWs, embedding of the nanowires was rapidly carried out without substantial substrate damage. The resulting electrode retained a low sheet resistance (high electrical conductivity) of <10 Omega/sq even under 100% strain, or after 1,000 continuous stretching-relaxation cycles, with a peak strain of 60%. The fabricated electrode has found immediate application as a sensor for motion detection. Furthermore, based on our electrode, a light emitting diode (LED) driven by integrated stretchable AgNW conductors has been fabricated. In conclusion, our present fabrication approach is fast, simple, scalable, and cost-efficient, making it a good candidate for a future roll-to-roll process

Ultraflexible Wireless Imager Integrated with Organic Circuits for Broadband Infrared Thermal Analysis

Kawabata R., Li K., Araki T., et al. Ultraflexible Wireless Imager Integrated with Organic Circuits for Broadband Infrared Thermal Analysis. Advanced Materials 36, 2309864 (2024); https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202309864.Flexible imagers are currently under intensive development as versatile optical sensor arrays, designed to capture images of surfaces and internals, irrespective of their shape. A significant challenge in developing flexible imagers is extending their detection capabilities to encompass a broad spectrum of infrared light, particularly terahertz (THz) light at room temperature. This advancement is crucial for thermal and biochemical applications. In this study, a flexible infrared imager is designed using uncooled carbon nanotube (CNT) sensors and organic circuits. The CNT sensors, fabricated on ultrathin 2.4 µm substrates, demonstrate enhanced sensitivity across a wide infrared range, spanning from near-infrared to THz wavelengths. Moreover, they retain their characteristics under bending and crumpling. The design incorporates light-shielded organic transistors and circuits, functioning reliably under light irradiation, and amplifies THz detection signals by a factor of 10. The integration of both CNT sensors and shielded organic transistors into an 8 × 8 active-sensor matrix within the imager enables sequential infrared imaging and nondestructive assessment for heat sources and in-liquid chemicals through wireless communication systems. The proposed imager, offering unique functionality, shows promise for applications in biochemical analysis and soft robotics

Skin‐Adhesive, ‐Breathable, and ‐Compatible Nanopaper Electronics for Harmonious On‐Skin Electrophysiological Monitoring

Abstract On‐skin electronics, which offers an interface for extracting electrophysiological signals from skin, is intensively investigated using electrodes mounted on flexible substrates. Despite numerous efforts toward substrate design to optimize user comfort, substrates with skin‐adhesion, skin‐breathability, skin‐compatibility, mechanical endurance, sterilizability, sustainability, and biodegradability remain desirable candidates for human‐ and environment‐friendly on‐skin electronics. To this end, a wood‐derived cellulose nanofiber paper (denoted nanopaper) with customized porous nanostructures is developed in this study. The customized porous nanopaper enables water‐assisted deformation for skin‐conformability, thereby realizing outstanding skin‐adhesion force, along with high skin‐breathability and compatibility, superior to those of conventional substrates reported for on‐skin electronics. By mounting gold electrodes on the porous nanopaper and adhering them to human skin, the real‐time monitoring of electroencephalogram, electromyogram, and electrocardiogram for diagnosing the human physiological state is successfully achieved. Furthermore, the gold‐electrode‐mounted porous nanopaper affords unique characteristics including durability against skin deformation, reusability, and even sterilizability, owing to its high mechanical endurance, and thermal stabilities. Thus, the as‐prepared porous nanopaper serves a fascinating platform for human‐ and environment‐harmonious on‐skin electronics

Ultraflexible Organic Active Matrix Sensor Sheet for Tactile and Biosignal Monitoring

Abstract Flexible sensors are currently the subject of intensive research, as they allow cost‐effective and environmentally friendly production of large‐area, flexible, and when fabricated on ultrathin substrates, highly conformable devices. Among many intriguing applications, tactile and biosignal monitoring, where lightweight sensors with high wearing comfort are particularly interesting, is focused on here. The required spatiotemporal resolution of the signals is achieved by integrating the sensors in an active matrix configuration. Organic ferroelectric transducers of high uniformity, characterized, for example, by a sensitivity spread of only 1.5%, are combined with similarly uniform ultralow noise level organic thin film transistors operating below 5 V, showing, for example, a threshold voltage variation of just 0.13 V, in a 12 × 12 sensor array. The transistors transition frequency of up to 160 kHz (saturation range) and 17 kHz (linear range) allows for a high spatiotemporal resolution of ≈3 mm at a frame rate of 1400 fps. The thickness of only 2.8 µm renders the organic active matrix sensor sheet ultraflexible and therefore virtually imperceptible on the human skin. Real‐time monitoring of tactile modes in a subset of 8 × 3 pixels and of the pulse wave including heart rate and blood pressure using four sensors of the matrix is demonstrated

Non-contact laser printing of ag nanowire-based electrode with photodegradable polymers

The roll-to-roll process is synonymous with newspaper production. If a similar high-throughput process is developed to fabricate electronics over large areas, it would revolutionize the printed electronics manufacturing process. Rapid fabrication of electrode, including patterning and nanoscale welding, is a necessary integration technique to reduce the duration of the process, but faces difficulties in being realized using conventional methods. This paper discusses material factors that affect printability, in the context of developing a promising fabrication technique called laser induced forward transfer (LIFT); LIFT is non-contact printing technique applied previously to realize simultaneous pattern deposition and nanowelding of Ag nanowire (AgNW)-based electrodes. A photodegradable polymer, which is a key component in the printing process to render droplet acceleration, is investigated with regards to its mechanical and optical properties. Furthermore, the printing process of the AgNW-based electrode is visualized, resulting in deeper understanding of LIFT. Knowledge of these factors will contribute to rapid and precise patterning of AgNW-based electrodes with high stretchability and transparency toward flexible optoelectronics devices

Non-contact laser printing of ag nanowire-based electrode with photodegradable polymers

\u3cp\u3eThe roll-to-roll process is synonymous with newspaper production. If a similar high-throughput process is developed to fabricate electronics over large areas, it would revolutionize the printed electronics manufacturing process. Rapid fabrication of electrode, including patterning and nanoscale welding, is a necessary integration technique to reduce the duration of the process, but faces difficulties in being realized using conventional methods. This paper discusses material factors that affect printability, in the context of developing a promising fabrication technique called laser induced forward transfer (LIFT); LIFT is non-contact printing technique applied previously to realize simultaneous pattern deposition and nanowelding of Ag nanowire (AgNW)-based electrodes. A photodegradable polymer, which is a key component in the printing process to render droplet acceleration, is investigated with regards to its mechanical and optical properties. Furthermore, the printing process of the AgNW-based electrode is visualized, resulting in deeper understanding of LIFT. Knowledge of these factors will contribute to rapid and precise patterning of AgNW-based electrodes with high stretchability and transparency toward flexible optoelectronics devices.\u3c/p\u3

Fine-Tuning the Performance of Ultraflexible Organic Complementary Circuits on a Single Substrate via a Nanoscale Interfacial Photochemical Reaction

Flexible electronics has paved the way toward the development of next-generation wearable and implantable healthcare devices, including multimodal sensors. Integrating flexible circuits with transducers on a single substrate is desirable for processing vital signals. However, the trade-off between low power consumption and high operating speed is a major bottleneck. Organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) are suitable for developing flexible circuits owing to their intrinsic flexibility and compatibility with the printing process. We used a photoreactive insulating polymer poly((±)endo,exo-bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-ene-2,3-dicarboxylic acid, diphenylester) (PNDPE) to modulate the power consumption and operating speed of ultraflexible organic circuits fabricated on a single substrate. The turn-on voltage (Von) of the p- and n-type OTFTs was controlled through a nanoscale interfacial photochemical reaction. The time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry revealed the preferential occurrence of the PNDPE photochemical reaction in the vicinity of the semiconductor–dielectric interface. The power consumption and operating speed of the ultraflexible complementary inverters were tuned by a factor of 6 and 4, respectively. The minimum static power consumption was 30 ± 9 pW at transient and 4 ± 1 pW at standby. Furthermore, within the tuning range of the operating speed and at a supply voltage above 2.5 V, the minimum stage delay time was of the order of hundreds of microseconds. We demonstrated electromyogram measurements to emphasize the advantage of the nanoscale interfacial photochemical reaction. Our study suggests that a nanoscale interfacial photochemical reaction can be employed to develop imperceptible and wearable multimodal sensors with organic signal processing circuits that exhibit low power consumption

Stretchable broadband photo-sensor sheets for nonsampling, source-free, and label-free chemical monitoring by simple deformable wrapping

Chemical monitoring communicates diverse environmental information from industrial and biological processes. However, promising and sustainable systems and associated inspection devices that dynamically enable on-site quality monitoring of target chemicals confined inside transformable and opaque channels are yet to be investigated. This paper designs stretchable photo-sensor patch sheets for nonsampling, source-free, and label-free on-site dynamic chemical monitoring of liquids flowing inside soft tubes via simple deformable surface wrapping. The device integrates carbon nanotube–based broadband photo-absorbent thin films with multilayer-laminated stretchable electrodes and substrates. The patterned rigid-soft structure of the proposed device provides durability and optical stability against mechanical deformations with a stretchability range of 70 to 280%, enabling shape-conformable attachments to transformable objects. The effective use of omnidirectional and transparent blackbody radiation from free-form targets themselves allows compact measurement configuration and enhances the functionality and simplicity of this scheme, while the presenting technology monitors concentrations of arbitrary water-soluble chemicals

Fully Transparent, Ultrathin Flexible Organic Electrochemical Transistors with Additive Integration for Bioelectronic Applications

Optical transparency is highly desirable in bioelectronic sensors because it enables multimodal optical assessment during electronic sensing. Ultrathin (90%) and high transconductance (≈1 mS) in low-voltage operations (<0.6 V). Further, electroencephalogram acquisition and nitrate ion sensing are demonstrated in addition to the compatibility of simultaneous assessments of optical blood flowmetry when the transparent OECTs are worn, owing to the transparency. These feasibility demonstrations show promise in contributing to human stress monitoring in bioelectronics