Flexible electronics could find applications as sensors, artificial muscles
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ARGONNE, Ill. (April 2, 2007) — Flexible electronic structures with
the potential to bend, expand and manipulate electronic devices are being developed
by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory
and the University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. These flexible structures could find useful
applications as sensors and as electronic devices that can be integrated into
artificial muscles or biological tissues.
In addition to a biomedical impact, flexible electronics are important for
energy technology as flexible and accurate sensors for hydrogen.
These structures were developed from a concept created by Argonne scientist
Yugang Sun and a team of researchers at the University of Illinois led by John
A. Rogers. The concept focuses on forming single-crystalline semiconductor
nanoribbons in stretchable geometrical configurations with emphasis on the
materials and surface chemistries used in their fabrication and the mechanics
of their response to applied strains.
“Flexible electronics are typically characterized by conducting plastic-based
liquids that can be printed onto thin, bendable surfaces,” Sun said. “The objective
of our work was to generate a concept along with subsequent technology that
would allow for electronic wires and circuits to stretch like rubber bands
and accordions leading to sensor-embedded covers for aircraft and robots, and
even prosthetic skin for humans.
“We are presently developing stretchable electronics and sensors for smart
surgical gloves and hemispherical electronic eye imagers,” he added.
The team of researchers has been successful in fabricating thin ribbons of
silicon and designing them to bend, stretch and compress like an accordion
without losing their ability to function. The detailed results of these findings
were published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry paper, " Structural
forms of single crystal semiconductor nanoribbons for high-performance stretchable
electronics," which is available online at http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/Journals/JM/article.asp?doi=b614793c.
Before coming to Argonne in August of 2006, Sun worked as a research associate
under John A. Rogers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where
this project was first initiated. With the opening of Argonne's Center
for Nanoscale Materials late last year, he was attracted by the facility's ability
to enhance scientists' investigations in the properties of materials at nanoscale
dimensions.
The Center for Nanoscale Materials at Argonne integrates nanoscale research
with Argonne's existing capabilities in synchrotron X-ray studies, neutron-based
materials research and electron microscopy with new capabilities in nanosynthesis,
nanofabrication, nanomaterials characterization, and theory and simulation.
With the many resources at Argonne at his disposal, Sun plans to expand his
research to focus on applications in other biological and chemical sensors.
Funding for this research was provided by the U.S. Department of Energy's
Office of Basic Energy
Science.
Argonne National Laboratory brings
the world's brightest scientists and engineers together to find exciting and
creative new solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology.
The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic
and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne
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and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific
problems, advance America 's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for
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Argonne, LLC for
the U.S.
Department of Energy's Office
of Science.
For more information, please
contact Steve McGregor (630/252-5580 or media@anl.gov)
at Argonne.
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