Issue

Vol. 13 (2021)

Biocompatible Multifunctional E-Skins with Excellent Self-Healing Ability Enabled by Clean and Scalable Fabrication

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-021-00701-8
Xiuzhu Lin
State Key Laboratory of Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People’s Republic of China
Fan Li
State Key Laboratory of Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People’s Republic of China
Yu Bing
State Key Laboratory of Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People’s Republic of China
Teng Fei
State Key Laboratory of Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People’s Republic of China
Sen Liu
State Key Laboratory of Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People’s Republic of China
Hongran Zhao
State Key Laboratory of Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People’s Republic of China
Tong Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People’s Republic of China

Corresponding Author: Tong Zhang

zhangtong@jlu.edu.cn

Nano-Micro Letters, Vol. 13 (2021), Article Number: 200

Abstract

Electronic skins (e-skins) with an excellent sensing performance have been widely developed over the last few decades. However, wearability, biocompatibility, environmental friendliness and scalability have become new limitations. Self-healing ability can improve the long-term robustness and reliability of e-skins. However, self-healing ability and integration are hardly balanced in classical structures of self-healable devices. Here, cellulose nanofiber/poly(vinyl alcohol) (CNF/PVA), a biocompatible moisture-inspired self-healable composite, was applied both as the binder in functional layers and the substrate. Various functional layers comprising particular carbon materials and CNF/PVA were patterned on the substrate. A planar structure was beneficial for integration, and the active self-healing ability of the functional layers endowed self-healed e-skins with a higher toughness. Water served as both the only solvent throughout the fabrication process and the trigger of the self-healing process, which avoids the pollution and bioincompatibility caused by the application of noxious additives. Our e-skins could achieve real-time monitoring of whole-body physiological signals and environmental temperature and humidity. Cross-interference between different external stimuli was suppressed through reasonable material selection and structural design. Combined with conventional electronics, data could be transmitted to a nearby smartphone for post-processing. This work provides a previously unexplored strategy for multifunctional e-skins with an excellent practicality.


Highlights:


1 A printable multifunctional electronic skin (e-skin) with an excellent self-healing ability was developed via a simple, clean and universally applicable method.
2 Water served as both the only solvent throughout the fabrication process and the trigger of the self-healing process. Each e-skin component was biocompatible.
3 Combined with conventional electronics, signals collected by the e-skin could be transmitted to smartphones via Bluetooth for post-processing.

Keywords

Self-healing electronics Strain sensors Environmental friendly method Multifunctional e-skins Scalability
Lin, Xiuzhu, Fan Li, Yu Bing, Teng Fei, Sen Liu, Hongran Zhao, and Tong Zhang. 2021. “Biocompatible Multifunctional E-Skins With Excellent Self-Healing Ability Enabled by Clean and Scalable Fabrication”. Nano-Micro Letters 13 (September):200. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-021-00701-8.
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