Integrated 3D printing of flexible electroluminescent devices and soft robots

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 13; no. 1; p. 4775
• Main Authors: Zhang, Pei, Lei, Iek Man, Chen, Guangda, Lin, Jingsen, Chen, Xingmei, Zhang, Jiajun, Cai, Chengcheng, Liang, Xiangyu, Liu, Ji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 23.08.2022; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 3-D printers; 639/166/988; 639/301/1005/1007; Automation; Camouflage; Color matching; Devices; Electroluminescence; Humanities and Social Sciences; Inks; Manufacturing engineering; multidisciplinary; Multilayers; Printing; Robotics; Robots; Robustness; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Soft robotics; Three dimensional printing
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32126-1

Flexible and stretchable light emitting devices are driving innovation in myriad applications, such as wearable and functional electronics, displays and soft robotics. However, the development of flexible electroluminescent devices via conventional techniques remains laborious and cost-prohibitive. Here, we report a facile and easily-accessible route for fabricating a class of flexible electroluminescent devices and soft robotics via direct ink writing-based 3D printing. 3D printable ion conducting, electroluminescent and insulating dielectric inks were developed, enabling facile and on-demand creation of flexible and stretchable electroluminescent devices with good fidelity. Robust interfacial adhesion with the multilayer electroluminescent devices endowed the 3D printed devices with attractive electroluminescent performance. Integrated our 3D printed electroluminescent devices with a soft quadrupedal robot and sensing units, an artificial camouflage that can instantly self-adapt to the environment by displaying matching color was fabricated, laying an efficient framework for the next generation soft camouflages. Flexible electroluminescent devices are usually arduous to create. Liu et al report a 3D printing strategy to produce flexible and robust electroluminescent devices that can be integrated with soft robots for camouflage applications.