Multimaterial Three-Dimensional Printing of Ultraviolet-Curable Ionic Conductive Elastomers with Diverse Polymers for Multifunctional Flexible Electronics

He, Xiangnan1,2; Cheng, Jianxiang1,2; Li, Zhenqing1,2; Ye, Haitao1,2; Wei, Xinfeng1,2; Li, Honggeng1,2; Wang, Rong1,2; Zhang, Yuan-Fang3; Yang, Hui Ying4; Guo, Chuanfei5; Ge, Qi1,2

2023-01-18

10.1021/acsami.2c18954

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces   Impact Factor & Quartile

1944-8244

1944-8252

Ionic conductive elastomers (ICEs) are emerging stretch-able and ionic conductive materials that are solvent-free and thus demonstrate excellent thermal stability. Three-dimensional (3D) printing that creates complex 3D structures in free forms is considered as an ideal approach to manufacture sophisticated ICE-based devices. However, the current technologies constrain 3D printed ICE structures in a single material, which greatly limits functionality and performance of ICE-based devices and machines. Here, we report a digital light processing (DLP)-based multimaterial 3D printing capability to seemly integrate ultraviolet-curable ICE (UV-ICE) with nonconductive materials to create ionic flexible electronic devices in 3D forms with enhanced performance. This unique capability allows us to readily manufacture various 3D flexible electronic devices. To demonstrate this, we printed UV-ICE circuits into polymer substrates with different mechanical properties to create resistive strain and force sensors; we printed flexible capacitive sensors with high sensitivity (2 kPa-1) and a wide range of measured pressures (from 5 Pa to 550 kPa) by creating a complex microstructure in the dielectric layer; we even realized ionic conductor-activated four-dimensional (4D) printing by printing a UV-ICE circuit into a shape memory polymer substrate. The proposed approach paves a new efficient way to realize multifunctional flexible devices and machines by bonding ICEs with other polymers in 3D forms.

flexible electronics ionic conductive elastomers multimaterial 3D printing digital light processing 4D printing

SCI

English

First ; Corresponding

National Key Research and Development Program of China[2020YFB1312900] ; Science, Technology and Innovation Program - Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (MOTIE, Korea)[20009618] ; Science, Technology and Innovation Commission of Shenzhen Municipality[ZDSYS20210623092005017] ; Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A * STAR, Singapore) AME Programmatic Funding Scheme[A18A1b0045]

Science & Technology - Other Topics ; Materials Science

Nanoscience & Nanotechnology ; Materials Science, Multidisciplinary

WOS:000926624100001

AMER CHEMICAL SOC

Web of Science

1.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Shenzhen Key Lab Soft Mech & Smart Mfg, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China
2.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Dept Mech & Energy Engn, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China
3.South China Univ Technol, Shien Ming Wu Sch Intelligent Engn, Guangzhou 511442, Peoples R China
4.Singapore Univ Technol & Design, Digital Mfg & Design Ctr, Singapore 487372, Singapore
5.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Dept Mat Sci & Engn, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China

He, Xiangnan,Cheng, Jianxiang,Li, Zhenqing,et al. Multimaterial Three-Dimensional Printing of Ultraviolet-Curable Ionic Conductive Elastomers with Diverse Polymers for Multifunctional Flexible Electronics[J]. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces,2023,15(2).

He, Xiangnan.,Cheng, Jianxiang.,Li, Zhenqing.,Ye, Haitao.,Wei, Xinfeng.,...&Ge, Qi.(2023).Multimaterial Three-Dimensional Printing of Ultraviolet-Curable Ionic Conductive Elastomers with Diverse Polymers for Multifunctional Flexible Electronics.ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces,15(2).

He, Xiangnan,et al."Multimaterial Three-Dimensional Printing of Ultraviolet-Curable Ionic Conductive Elastomers with Diverse Polymers for Multifunctional Flexible Electronics".ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 15.2(2023).