Stretchable, flexible and transparent electronic materials

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Flexible, stretchable and transparent electronic materials are playing a central role in a myriad of novel applications that are expected to become ubiquitous in our society, such as artificial muscles and skin, smart textiles, biomedical devices, prosthetics and flexible displays. Progress in electronics for these new fields comes after decades of intense research and development in materials science, which have resulted in materials combining properties that are often mutually exclusive. For instance, materials showing high mechanical compliance, conductivity and transparency are now a reality. ******Enormous attention is being paid nowadays to two classes of materials that are very attractive for flexible, stretchable and transparent electronics: organic conducting polymers and metal oxide semiconductors. Both types of materials offer the opportunity to deposit transparent films using low-cost, solution-based techniques on a variety of substrates. A wide range of devices employ conducting polymers and semiconducting metal oxides as the electroactive materials. These include transistors, light-emitting diodes, biomedical devices, and chemical and mechanical sensors. ******In spite of this progress, we face many challenges before we can fully exploit the potential of these materials for flexible, stretchable and transparent electronics. A particularly desirable property for conducting polymers, especially for applications in bioelectronics, would be the ability to self-repair damage. This would permit, for instance, implanted devices capable to work under harsh mechanical conditions without need for frequent replacement. Another challenging issue is the ability to pattern conducting polymer devices with high spatial resolution on unconventional substrates, such as elastomers. For metal oxides, although gallium indium zinc oxide (IGZO) is already used in the display industry, there is a need to find elements more abundant than In and Ga, which can be processed with low-cost, solution-based techniques. ******The objective of this Discovery Research Program is: developing disruptive technologies for self-healing electronic materials, flexible/stretchable electronic devices and metal oxide electronics, with applications in wearable electronics, bioelectronics and transparent electronics, and providing a fundamental understanding of the phenomena controlling the electrical and mechanical properties of these materials and devices. Our work will include materials processing and patterning, device fabrication and advanced exploration of fundamental properties of materials. ******Because of its multidisciplinary character, its potential to produce high-impact science and innovative technology, this Research Program represents an exceptional opportunity to train highly qualified personnel, to respond to the scientific and technological challenges of our society.