Issue 25, 2015

Roll to roll processing of ultraconformable conducting polymer nanosheets

Abstract

Thin and compliant conductive materials and electronic devices that are able to stand as free-standing membranes or to conform to surfaces are relevant for the development of human-device interfaces and unperceivable skin-contact personal health monitoring systems. In this work, a roll-to-roll (R2R) process for the preparation of conductive polymer nanosheets on large areas has been developed in view to move such technology towards real-world applications. R2R conductive nanosheets are obtained as free-standing structures through release from a temporary substrate and then transferred in conformal contact with any target surface with arbitrary shape, curvature and surface topography (including biological tissue such as skin). A specific high-conductivity formulation of PEDOT:PSS has been optimized for skin-contact applications, by making use of butylene glycol (BG) as a dopant: a dermatologically approved ingredient. The R2R nanosheets were tested as unperceivable surface electromyography electrodes able to record muscle-electrical activity. The present R2R process has advantageous properties such as continuous, high throughput printing on large area rolls, cost-effectiveness, speed of execution and use of industry-ready/mass-scale manufacturing technology.

Graphical abstract: Roll to roll processing of ultraconformable conducting polymer nanosheets

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
17 Mar 2015
Accepted
07 May 2015
First published
13 May 2015

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2015,3, 6539-6548

Author version available

Roll to roll processing of ultraconformable conducting polymer nanosheets

A. Zucca, K. Yamagishi, T. Fujie, S. Takeoka, V. Mattoli and F. Greco, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2015, 3, 6539 DOI: 10.1039/C5TC00750J

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