MIT News August 28, 2019
Piezoelectric materials produce a voltage in response to physical strain, and they respond to a voltage by physically deforming. Researchers at MIT developed an additive fabrication method to 3-D print ceramic transducers about 100 nanometers thin at room temperature. The films resonate at around 5 gigahertz, which is high enough for high-performance biosensors. The raw material used in 3-D printing — contains zinc oxide nanoparticles mixed with some inert solvents, which forms into a piezoelectric material when printed onto a substrate and dried. The researchers are currently working with colleagues to make piezoelectric biosensors to detect biomarkers for certain diseases and conditions and a sensor to measure the decay of electrodes in fuel cells…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
MIT researchers have 3-D printed ultrathin ceramic films that convert energy from one form into another for flexible electronics and biosensors. Credit: The researchers