APS March Meeting 2017
Volume 62, Number 4
Monday–Friday, March 13–17, 2017;
New Orleans, Louisiana
Session C21: Flexible and Stretchable Organic Electronics
2:30 PM–5:30 PM,
Monday, March 13, 2017
Room: 281-282
Sponsoring
Unit:
DPOLY
Chair: Bryan Boudouris Brian Collins, Purdue University, Washington State University
Abstract ID: BAPS.2017.MAR.C21.4
Abstract: C21.00004 : Molecularly Stretchable Electronics for Energy and Healthcare.
4:18 PM–4:54 PM
Preview Abstract
Abstract
Author:
Darren Lipomi
(UC San Diego)
The term ``plastic electronics'' masks the wide range of mechanical behavior
possessed by films of $\pi $-conjugated (semiconducting) small molecules and
polymers. Such materials are promising for biosensors, large-area displays,
low-energy lighting, and low-cost photovoltaic modules. There is also an
apparent trade-off between electronic performance and mechanical compliance
in films of some of the best-performing semiconducting polymers, which
fracture at tensile strains not significantly greater than those at which
conventional inorganic semiconductors fail. The design of intrinsically
deformable electronic materials---i.e., imagine a semiconducting rubber
band---would facilitate roll-to-roll production, mechanical robustness for
potable applications, and conformal bonding to curved surfaces. This seminar
describes my group's efforts to understand and control the structural
parameters that influence the mechanical properties of $\pi $-conjugated
polymers. The techniques we employ include synthetic chemistry, spectroscopy
and microstructural characterization, computation from the molecular to
continuum level, and electrical measurements of devices. A complex picture
emerges for the interplay between molecular structure, the way the process
of solidification influences the morphology, and how molecular structure and
morphology combine to produce a film with a given modulus, elastic range,
ductility, and toughness. We are also exploring ways to introduce other
properties into organic semiconductors that are inspired by biological
tissue. That is, not just elasticity and toughness, but also
biodegradability and the capacity for self-repair. The seminar will also
touch on our use of self-assembled metallic nanoislands on graphene for
ultra-sensitive mechanical sensing using piezoresistive and
``piezoplasmonic'' mechanisms. The applications for these materials are in
detecting human motion and measuring the mechanics of cardiac and
musculoskeletal cells. My group is broadly interested in the intersection of
soft materials and human touch for virtual and augmented reality, and I will
briefly mention our work in these areas.
To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2017.MAR.C21.4