Science Daily December 15, 2021
An international team of researchers (USA – Georgia Institute of Technology, Chile) has demonstrated a new level of stretchability for a photodetector made from a synthetic polymer and an elastomer that absorbs light to produce an electrical current. It is up to 200% more stretchable than its original dimension without significantly losing its electric current. They found the right combination of chemical compounds to produce a super-soft material with the ability to generate and conduct electricity when exposed to light and the right ratio for all parts of the semiconductor layer to maintain high performance in the photodetector. A water reservoir was used to prevent it from crumbling under dry conditions and losing its shape. They have demonstrated stretchable semiconductor that retains the electrical performance needed to detect ultra-low light levels. The work could have applications in wearable medical devices, and in detecting, identifying, and characterizing ionizing radiation for nuclear fuel cycle monitoring. However, according to the researchers more testing and optimization is needed to show the materials’ stretchability under multimodal loads and its shelf stability…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Mechanical characterization of freestanding films. Credit: SCIENCE ADVANCES, 15 Dec 2021, Vol 7, Issue 51Â