Transient bioelectronics: Electronic properties of silver microparticle-based circuits on polymeric substrates subjected to mechanical load

Abstract

Transient soft bioelectronics are capable of forming conformal contacts with curvilinear surfaces of biological host tissues and organs. Such systems are often subject to continuous static and dynamic loads from the biological host. In this article, we present investigation of electronic attributes of transient soft bioelectronic circuits subjected to mechanical force and influence of substrate's transiency on the transiency of the whole device; also, characterize and quantify loss of functionality in triggered devices. Variations in the electrical conductivity of circuits as a function of applied mechanical load was used as a means to deduce electronic characteristics under stress. The experimental results suggest that there exists a correlation between electronic properties of circuits and applied mechanical strain; no clear correlation was, however, observed between electronic properties of circuits and frequency of the applied dynamic load. Control over transiency rate of identical circuits utilizing the transiency characteristics of the poly(vinyl alcohol)l-based substrates is also studied and demonstrated. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015, 53, 1603–1610