Biodegradable and Highly Deformable Temperature Sensors for the Internet of Things

Recent advances in biomaterials, thin film processing, and nanofabrication offer the opportunity to design electronics with novel and unique capabilities, including high mechanical stability and biodegradation, which are relevant in medical implants, environmental sensors, and wearable and disposabl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Advanced functional materials 2017-09, Vol.27 (35), p.n/a
Main Authors: Salvatore, Giovanni A., Sülzle, Jenny, Dalla Valle, Filippo, Cantarella, Giuseppe, Robotti, Francesco, Jokic, Petar, Knobelspies, Stefan, Daus, Alwin, Büthe, Lars, Petti, Luisa, Kirchgessner, Norbert, Hopf, Raoul, Magno, Michele, Tröster, Gerhard
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biodegradability
biodegradable materials
Biodegradation
Biomedical materials
Bluetooth
Cartilage
Composting
Deformation
electronics
Environmental monitoring
Exploration
flexible sensors
Flow mapping
Formability
Magnesium
Materials science
Modulus of elasticity
Muscles
Nanofabrication
Response time
Sensors
stretchable sensors
Surgical implants
Temperature sensors
Wearable technology
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Summary:Recent advances in biomaterials, thin film processing, and nanofabrication offer the opportunity to design electronics with novel and unique capabilities, including high mechanical stability and biodegradation, which are relevant in medical implants, environmental sensors, and wearable and disposable devices. Combining reliable electrical performance with high mechanical deformation and chemical degradation remains still challenging. This work reports temperature sensors whose material composition enables full biodegradation while the layout and ultrathin format ensure a response time of 10 ms and stable operation demonstrated by a resistance variation of less than 0.7% when the devices are crumpled, folded, and stretched up to 10%. Magnesium microstructures are encapsulated by a compostable‐certified flexible polymer which exhibits small swelling rate and a Young's modulus of about 500 MPa which approximates that of muscles and cartilage. The extension of the design from a single sensor to an array and its integration onto a fluidic device, made of the same polymer, provides routes for a smart biodegradable system for flow mapping. Proper packaging of the sensors tunes the dissolution dynamics to a few days in water while the connection to a Bluetooth module demonstrates wireless operation with 200 mK resolution prospecting application in food tracking and in medical postsurgery monitoring. Advances in biomaterials and nanofabrication allow designing highly mechanically stable electronics that are biodegradable. This study demonstrates temperature sensors whose material composition enables full biodegradation while the layout and ultrathin format ensure fast response time and reliable operations upon stretching and folding. Wireless operation, achieved via an external Bluetooth module, prospects application in food monitoring and post‐surgery implants.
ISSN:1616-301X
1616-3028
DOI:10.1002/adfm.201702390