Stretchable Papertronics

纸质电子和传感器（即Papertronics）是新兴技术，为医疗保健、环境监测、显示和能源存储等广泛应用提供了新的平台。纸作为下一代电子产品的基材具有巨大的潜力，因为它的物理和化学特性，包括高表面积体积比、多孔结构、生物相容性、生物降解性、低成本、全球可用性、可折叠性和轻质性。然而，机械性能限制了与活体器官系统的紧密结合和保形接触，因为这种纸容易撕裂且不可拉伸。为了将纸电子学推进到生物集成的软生物电子学，将对纸的机械性能进行修改，使其具有可拉伸性，同时保持具有生物惰性化学性质的纤维结构，以充分利用纸的固有特性。可伸缩纸作为一种新型材料和平台，将成为下一代纸电子学和纸流体学的基础。事实上，可拉伸纸可以转变为跨学科研究的新领域，将基础材料科学研究和工程科学结合起来，建立突破性的创新。系统研究的制造参数将加速先进制造的发展，特别是在柔性混合电子领域，并进一步转化为工业应用的生产过程。知识将通过为STEM教师举办教育研讨会、同行评议出版物、课堂教学、学生指导以及少数民族、妇女和代表性不足群体的充分参与来传播。拟议的项目旨在通过使用静电纺丝技术创造可拉伸同轴非织造纤维垫的进步，从而彻底改变纸质电子产品。可拉伸纸由薄、软和芯鞘纤维平台组成，当分别使用硅弹性体和纤维素作为芯材和外鞘聚合物时，可以在保持纸的化学特性的同时变得有弹性。我们的项目包括三个目标来研究可拉伸的电子纸。具体目标如下：(1)将研究薄的、纳米纤维素涂层的弹性硅基聚合物衬底，用于机械和生化兼容的生物电子学；(2)对可拉伸纸的物理、化学和机械性能进行表征。系统地研究了纤维直径、纤芯（或护套）厚度与加工参数的关系。此外，将测试与传统印刷技术的兼容性，以将可拉伸纸开发成功能性电子产品。(3)弹性纸基微生物燃料电池（MFC）将作为纸电子模型进行演示。3D纤维素包覆的PDMS纳米纤维将作为MFC的基板，为与器官系统共形接触的软生物电子学发电。总的来说，用可拉伸纸验证的基于纸张的电子产品的研究将提供对生物力学兼容的纸电子和纸流体的未来发展的全面理解，用于无炎症的长期生物医学应用，以及制造和处理工程中环境友好和成本友好的解决方案。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Paper-based electronics and sensors (i.e., Papertronics) are emerging technologies providing a new platform for a wide range of applications for healthcare, environment monitoring, display, and energy storage. Paper as a substrate for next-generation electronics holds significant potential because of its physical and chemical characteristics, including a high surface area to volume ratio, porous structure, biocompatibility, biodegradability, low-cost worldwide availability, foldability, and lightweight. However, the mechanical properties limit intimate integration and conformal contact with living organ systems because the paper is easy to tear and not stretchable. To advance papertronics into bio-integrated soft bioelectronics, paper’s mechanical properties will be modified to make it stretchable while keeping the fibrous structure with bioinert chemical properties to take full advantage of paper’s intrinsic characteristics. The stretchable paper, new material and platform, will be the foundations of the next generation of the papertronics and paperfluidics. Indeed, the stretchable paper can transform into a new domain of interdisciplinary studies putting together basic material science research and engineering sciences to establish groundbreaking innovations. The systematically studied fabrication parameters will accelerate the development of advanced manufacturing, especially in flexible hybrid electronics, and further will be transformed into the production process for use by industry. Knowledge will be disseminated through the development of an educational workshop for STEM teachers, peer-reviewed publications, classroom teaching, student mentoring, and full participation of minorities, women, and underrepresented groups.The proposed project aims to revolutionize paper-based electronics by creating advances in the stretchable co-axial nonwoven fibrous mat using electrospinning technologies. The stretchable papers consist of thin, soft, and core-sheath fibrous platform that will allow becoming elastic but maintaining chemical properties of the paper while using silicone elastomer and cellulose for core material and outer sheath polymer, respectively. Our project involves three objectives to investigate stretchable papertronics. The specific aims are as follows: (1) the thin, nanomesh cellulose coated elastomeric silicone-based polymer substrates will be investigated for mechanically, and biochemically compatible bioelectronics; (2) the stretchable paper will be characterized its physical, chemical, and mechanical properties. The relationship between the fiber diameter and core (or sheath) thickness with processing parameters will be systematically studied. Additionally, the compatibility to the conventional printing technologies will be tested to develop the stretchable paper into functional electronics.; (3) the elastomeric paper-based microbial fuel cell (MFC) will be demonstrated as model papertronics. The 3D cellulose-coated PDMS nanofibers will serve as a substrate for MFC, which generates power for soft bioelectronics with conformal contact with the organ system. Overall, the study of the paper-based electronics validated with the stretchable paper will offer a comprehensive understanding of future developments in the biomechanically compatible papertronics and paperfluidics for inflammatory-free, long-term biomedical applications as well as the environment- and cost-friendly solutions in manufacturing and disposal engineering.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.