Ultrathin and Stretchable Rechargeable Devices with Organic Polymer Nanosheets Conformable to Skin Surface

Small. 2019 Mar;15(13):e1805296. doi: 10.1002/smll.201805296. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Abstract

Ultrathin flexible electronic devices have been attracting substantial attention for biomonitoring, display, wireless communication, and many other ubiquitous applications. In this article, organic robust redox-active polymer/carbon nanotube hybrid nanosheets with thickness of just 100 nm are reported as power sources for ultrathin devices conformable to skin. Regardless of the extreme thinness of the electrodes, a moderately large current density of 0.4 mA cm-2 is achieved due to the high output of the polymers (>10 A g-1 ). For the first time, the use of mechanically robust yet intrinsically soft electrodes and polymer nanosheet sealing leads to the fabrication of rechargeable devices with only 1-µm thickness and even with stretchable properties.

Keywords: flexible electronics; nanotechnology; rechargeable devices; redox-active polymers.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acrylic Resins / chemistry
  • Cyclic N-Oxides / chemistry
  • Electricity
  • Electrochemistry
  • Electrodes
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Nanoparticles / ultrastructure
  • Nanotubes, Carbon / chemistry
  • Nanotubes, Carbon / ultrastructure
  • Organic Chemicals / chemistry*
  • Polymers / chemistry*
  • Skin / anatomy & histology*

Substances

  • Acrylic Resins
  • Cyclic N-Oxides
  • Nanotubes, Carbon
  • Organic Chemicals
  • Polymers
  • polyacrylamide
  • TEMPO