Polymer Chemistries Underpinning Materials for Skin-Inspired Electronics

• Published in: Macromolecules Vol. 52; no. 11; pp. 3965 - 3974
• Main Authors: Tran, Helen, Feig, Vivian R, Liu, Kathy, Zheng, Yu, Bao, Zhenan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 11.06.2019
• ISSN: 0024-9297; 1520-5835
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b00410

Polymers play a multifaceted role in driving the progress of research in skin-inspired electronicsan emerging technology with promising implications in human health, the environment, and information infrastructure. Polymers may function as the substrate, encapsulant, adhesive, matrix, or active material. A vast chemical design space to molecularly engineer polymer structures allows physical properties and functionalities to be readily tuned. Diverse opportunities exist to exploit the recent synthetic advances and methodologies in polymer chemistry to advance skin-inspired electronics. This Perspective highlights chemistries underpinning polymeric materials currently employed in skin-inspired electronics and provides an outlook on chemistries that are potentially exciting to utilize. The aim of this Perspective is to concurrently expose device engineers to the chemical diversity of polymers and enthuse chemists to evaluate their synthetic expertise for potential skin-inspired electronics. Ultimately, the collective collaborations between chemists and engineers are critical to further advance the field of electronic skin.