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Stretchable nanoparticle conductors with self-organized conductive pathways

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TLDR
Stretchable conductors of polyurethane containing spherical nanoparticles deposited by either layer-by-layer assembly or vacuum-assisted flocculation are demonstrated, demonstrating the electronic tunability of mechanical properties, which arise from the dynamic self-organization of the nanoparticles under stress.
Abstract
Research in stretchable conductors is fuelled by diverse technological needs. Flexible electronics, neuroprosthetic and cardiostimulating implants, soft robotics and other curvilinear systems require materials with high conductivity over a tensile strain of 100 per cent (refs 1-3). Furthermore, implantable devices or stretchable displays need materials with conductivities a thousand times higher while retaining a strain of 100 per cent. However, the molecular mechanisms that operate during material deformation and stiffening make stretchability and conductivity fundamentally difficult properties to combine. The macroscale stretching of solids elongates chemical bonds, leading to the reduced overlap and delocalization of electronic orbitals. This conductivity-stretchability dilemma can be exemplified by liquid metals, in which conduction pathways are retained on large deformation but weak interatomic bonds lead to compromised strength. The best-known stretchable conductors use polymer matrices containing percolated networks of high-aspect-ratio nanometre-scale tubes or nanowires to address this dilemma to some extent. Further improvements have been achieved by using fillers (the conductive component) with increased aspect ratio, of all-metallic composition, or with specific alignment (the way the fillers are arranged in the matrix). However, the synthesis and separation of high-aspect-ratio fillers is challenging, stiffness increases with the volume content of metallic filler, and anisotropy increases with alignment. Pre-strained substrates, buckled microwires and three-dimensional microfluidic polymer networks have also been explored. Here we demonstrate stretchable conductors of polyurethane containing spherical nanoparticles deposited by either layer-by-layer assembly or vacuum-assisted flocculation. High conductivity and stretchability were observed in both composites despite the minimal aspect ratio of the nanoparticles. These materials also demonstrate the electronic tunability of mechanical properties, which arise from the dynamic self-organization of the nanoparticles under stress. A modified percolation theory incorporating the self-assembly behaviour of nanoparticles gave an excellent match with the experimental data.

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Citations
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Control over electrically bistable properties of layer-by- layer-assembled polymer/organometal multilayers

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Soft and Stretchable Liquid Metal-Elastomer Composite for Wearable Electronics.

TL;DR: In this article , a stretchable soft stress sensor can detect the bending degree of the finger, monitor physiological signals in real time, and distinguish the vibration from the pronunciation of different letters.
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Effect of the surface curvature and volume fraction of AuPs on the AuP-matrix interface

TL;DR: In this paper, the impact of the AuP radius and volume fraction on the interface energy and cohesive strength of a polymer nanocomposite was analyzed using the Monte Carlo method and the applicable range of the dilute solution assumption.
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Enhancing packing density and maximum elongation of 2D stretchable wavy circuit: Effect of section tilting

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References
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Journal ArticleDOI

Carbon Nanotubes--the Route Toward Applications

TL;DR: Many potential applications have been proposed for carbon nanotubes, including conductive and high-strength composites; energy storage and energy conversion devices; sensors; field emission displays and radiation sources; hydrogen storage media; and nanometer-sized semiconductor devices, probes, and interconnects.
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Fuzzy Nanoassemblies: Toward Layered Polymeric Multicomposites

TL;DR: In this article, a general approach for multilayers by consecutive adsorption of polyanions and polycations has been proposed and has been extended to other materials such as proteins or colloids.
Journal ArticleDOI

Materials and mechanics for stretchable electronics

TL;DR: Inorganic and organic electronic materials in microstructured and nanostructured forms, intimately integrated with elastomeric substrates, offer particularly attractive characteristics, with realistic pathways to sophisticated embodiments, and applications in systems ranging from electronic eyeball cameras to deformable light-emitting displays are described.
Journal ArticleDOI

Skin-like pressure and strain sensors based on transparent elastic films of carbon nanotubes

TL;DR: Transparent, conducting spray-deposited films of single-walled carbon nanotubes are reported that can be rendered stretchable by applying strain along each axis, and then releasing this strain.
Journal ArticleDOI

Stretchable active-matrix organic light-emitting diode display using printable elastic conductors

TL;DR: The manufacture of printable elastic conductors comprising single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) uniformly dispersed in a fluorinated rubber is described, which is constructed a rubber-like stretchable active-matrix display comprising integrated printed elastic conductor, organic transistors and organic light-emitting diodes.
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