Transient Electronic Devices Research Articles

Ultra-fast, Self-destructing technology based on autocatalytic energetic conductive ink

Transient electronics show promising potential in data security and privacy preservation. Key criteria for transient electronic devices include quick production, short lifespan, and irreversible degradation. This article proposes a novel energetic conductive ink (EILs-Fc-SWNTs/EMOFs) with ultra-fast self-destruct performance for information protection. The ink based on carbon nanotubes modified with energetic ionic liquids and combustion rate catalysts, has advantages of high conductivity, high energy properties, and rapid production. Transient electronic devices containing micro-storage chips are achieved through direct writing technology. The writing circuit exhibits excellent conductivity (65.57 S/cm), high flexibility (2000 bending cycles), and high-energy characteristics (1640.3 J/g). The combustion temperature of the printing circuit is estimated at approximately 2100 °C. More importantly, transient electronics device commercial storage chips can be destroyed within 0.9 s.

Dynamic Response of Phase Change Heat Exchange Unit with Layered Porous Media for Pulsed Electronic Equipment

Effective heat dissipation challenges transient high-power electronic devices in hypersonic vehicle cabins. This study introduces a Phase Change Heat Exchange Unit with Layered Porous Media (PCHEU–LPM) employing pulsed heat flow at the top and forced convection at the bottom. The primary aim was a comparative parametric study analyzing the thermal response of the heating surface under pulsed heat flow conditions. The geometric model was generated using electron microscopy images of manufactured objects and the numerical model was established based on the enthalpy–porosity method. Numerical simulations explored amplitude and frequency effects on pulsed thermal excitation, evaluating temperature and phase fields. A comprehensive time-frequency transformation assessed the temperature response. The results indicated an initial decrease and subsequent increase in interface temperature fluctuation with pulse heat flux amplitude growth. Temperature field uniformity correlated with natural convection strength in two-phase and liquid-phase regions. At mid and low frequencies, the phase change process increasingly suppressed interface temperature fluctuations. Optimal pulse thermal excitation selection was crucial for minimizing temperature fluctuations while maintaining the interface temperature within the expected phase transition range. In conclusion, a novel design concept is posited herein, aiming to enhance surface temperature uniformity and broaden the applicability of electronic devices through the manipulation of porosity rates.

Gelatin Biogel–Liquid Metal Composite Transient Circuits for Recyclable Flexible Electronics

AbstractTransient electronics with degradability or dissolvability on demand possess remarkable characteristics for wearable, bioelectronic, and implanted electronic devices. While synthetic materials have made significant progress in degradability and stretchability, they suffer from intrinsic limitations, including low degradation rates, poor mechanical compliance, and high production cost, which restrict the growth of transient electronic devices. Herein, a versatile fabrication strategy is presented for transient electronics that combine a resilient biopolymer substrate (gelatin biogels) with liquid metal (Galinstan). The circuits made from gelatin biogel‐based and liquid metal are mechanically resilient and durable, exhibiting good compliance with irregular and deformable surfaces, and thus can withstand long‐term exposure to dynamic deformation (about 60 000 cycles at a strain of 50%). More importantly, gelatin biogels are naturally derived and endowed with thermally reversible gelling, which enables on‐demand rapid dissolution and recycling of the materials. As a proof‐of‐concept, transient circuit‐based capacitive sensors, which can be degraded within 20 s, are fabricated for monitoring finger touching, morse code generation, and electrical touchpad. Such a strategy provides a guideline for designing transient electronics with a combination of biopolymer gels and liquid metal, and this approach is anticipated to find applications in human–machine interfaces and wearable devices.

Recent advances in nanotherapeutics for epilepsy and neurodegenerative diseases

This review focuses on the potential of nanotherapeutics in the diagnosis and treatment of neuronal abnormal conditions particularly epilepsy, alzheimer's disease (AD), and Parkinson's disease (PD). The advancements in nanotechnology have paved the way for the development of nanocarrier systems that can target the underlying pathogenesis of these diseases. The study aimed to explore the efficacy of nanosystems in treating epilepsy, AD, and PD by analyzing relevant articles from databases such as Medline, PubMed and the national library of medicine. The review discusses the targeted delivery of active therapeutics to the central nervous system, with a focus on modulating neuronal and endothelial cell activity. It highlights various nanotherapeutic approaches, including pH-responsive nanomaterial-based therapeutics, nano-bioelectronic-implantable transient electronic devices, and electro-responsive nanosystems for the treatment of epilepsy. Additionally, the efficacy of nanodrug delivery systems loaded with curcumin, monoclonal anti-tau antibody-coated gold nanoparticles, Polyethylene Glycolpolylactide-Polyglycolide (PEG-PLGA) nanoparticles loaded with lactoferrin, dopamine-conjugated Albumin/PLGA nanosystems, and curcumin-loaded T807/RPCNP nanoparticles against neurodegeneration is discussed. The findings of this review provide valuable insights into the implications and challenges of nanotherapeutics in the field of neurological diseases. Neurologists and clinicians can benefit from this knowledge to better understand the potential applications of nanotherapeutics in the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions.

Recent Progress in Transient Energy Storage using Biodegradable Materials

With the development of wireless sensor networks, electrical waste that remains in the environment is an inevitable issue in achieving sustainability and progress in electronics. Transient electronics that disappear after a prescribed time are of interest in electronics and material sciences. Such devices comprise naturally sourced materials that degrade without harmful or toxic substances during biodegradation. Although there are reports on transient electronic devices, including transistors, sensors, and radio frequency circuits, insufficient research has been conducted on the energy storage essential for operating transient devices. This review highlights the recent progress in developing transient energy storage. First, materials for transient energy storage, including conductors, electrolytes, and gels, are introduced. Second, transient supercapacitors, pseudocapacitors, primary batteries, and secondary batteries, are described and summarized. Finally, this review concludes and discusses the prospect of transient energy storage. The continuous progress of transient batteries and integration with transient devices are promising for sustainable electronics in the future.

All dissolvable and transient plasmonic device enabled by nanoimprint lithography

Dissolvable and transient devices are important for environment-friendly disposal and information security. Similar to transient electronic devices, photonic devices use dissolvable metals such as magnesium and zinc to enable tunable plasmonic resonances. However, functional nanostructured substrates made of a common photoresist and a soft substrate are not dissolvable. In this study, we report the large-area, dissolvable polylactic-co-glycolic acid nanostructures formed by nanoimprint lithography and discuss the impact of the imprinting temperatures and ambient conditions on the formed nanostructures. The deposition of a thin layer of metal can yield a quasi-3D plasmonic device, and the choice of zinc metal can result in an all-dissolvable device in water over a few days. Consequently, the transmission spectra of these plasmonic devices could be tuned after placement in water. This strategy yields a truly transient nanophotonic device that can be degraded after performing its function for a specific period.

Wireless Measurement of the Degradation Rates of Thin Film Bioresorbable Metals Using Reflected Impedance

A method using reflected impedance to determine the electrical degradation rates of bioresorbable metals for physically transient electronic devices is outlined. This approach uses known mutual inductor interactions with simple single turn disk coil geometries and a frequency measurement system to track the reduction of the mean thickness of a thin film metal ring as it degrades. Experiments using <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathrm {500~ \text {n} \text {m} }$ </tex-math></inline-formula> thick zinc rings, fabricated by photolithography, thermal evaporation and lift-off, found a mean degradation rate of 278 nm h−1 in 37 °C de-ionised water. Experiments in 37 °C 1 mM hydrochloric acid found two distinct periods of degradation and a total degradation rate of 632 nm h−1 that closely matched the degradation rate measured using profilometry of 608 nm h−1.

Design of hyaluronan-based dopant for conductive and resorbable PEDOT ink

Conformable biocompatible conductive materials are increasingly sought for the development of bioelectronics. If additionally resorbable, they could serve for the design of transient implantable electronic devices, opening the way to new healthcare applications. Hyaluronan (HA) derivatives including sulfate and aminophenylboronic acid (PBA) groups (HAS-PBA) were therefore designed to serve as dopants of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy)thiophene (PEDOT). The optimized HA sulfation protocol allowed good control on polymer sulfation degree while minimizing polymer chain degradation. Sulfated HA was shown to be degradable in physiological conditions. A synergy was observed between the sulfate negative charges and the PBA aromatic groups promoting hydrophobic interactions and π-stacking between PEDOT and HAS-PBA, to boost the material conductivity that reached 1.6 ± 0.2 S/cm in physiological conditions. Moreover the PEDOT:HAS-PBA material was not cytotoxic and could be formulated for easy processing by inkjet printing, appearing as promising candidate for the design of soft transient electronics for in vivo applications.

Physical Transient Photoresistive Variable Memory Based on Graphene Quantum Dots.

Biomaterials have attracted attention as a major material for biodegradable and transient electronic devices. In this work, biocompatible gelatin-doped graphene quantum dot films are reported as active layer switching memories with good electrical properties and physical transient properties. Such nonvolatile memory devices have write-once-read-many electrical properties and a concentrated distribution of low-resistance and high-resistance states. It provides a solution for the current obstacle of resistive memory storage and computing integration. Based on the sensitivity of the device to ultraviolet light, the "OR gate" logic operation is completed. Furthermore, the active layer can be dissolved in deionized water within 15 min, and the gelatin substrate-based device can be destroyed immediately in water, indicating the potential biodegradation and physical transient properties of our fabricated device. Biocompatible memory devices are environmentally friendly, sustainable for safe storage, and low-cost, making them ideal for storage applications.

Fully Recyclable Liquid‐Metal‐Based Multi‐Layer Thermally Triggered Transient Electronic Devices

AbstractThe emergent transient electronics that can be destroyed or degraded harmlessly under an environmental stimulus are attracting extensive attentions toward eco‐friendly electronic devices and confidential communication applications. However, currently available transient electronics are limited by the poor recyclability of components, which fails to meet the ever‐increasing demands of advanced electronic devices. Here, this work reports a fully recyclable transient electronic device based on a multi‐layered architecture, comprising a liquid metal (LM) as the conductor and a NaOH solution‐embedded paraffin composite (NPC) as the degradation agent. Upon thermally triggered by the bottom heater, the middle‐layer LM circuit and the top NPC layer melt, releasing the aqueous alkali to destroy the circuit at a quick transient rate (46 ± 4 s). Afterward, both the free LM and paraffin are recycled at extremely high efficiencies, that is, 98% for LM owing to the self‐aggregation and fluidic nature, 95% for paraffin arising from the low melting point and good recoverability. The successful integration of transience and recycling abilities dramatically improves the feasibility of transient electronics in real applications, as further demonstrated in a radio‐frequency transmission device and a remote destructible memristor, which hold great promises for confidential data storage devices and next‐generation electronics.

Heat and light triggered mechanical destruction of 2D materials based electronic devices fabricated on wax substrate

The unusual features of transient electronics to disintegrate the device after its use have gained popularity in the research community as well as in various fields which is not possible with conventional electronics. Different triggers such as solution and stimuli-based have been utilized for the dissolution or degradation of electronic devices. To date, solution-based transience has been a dominant trigger because most of the bio-materials are soluble in aqueous and non-aqueous solutions. Due to this, the chemical dissolution, materials selection, devices functionalities, and configurations for the development of transient electronic devices are limited. To overcome this limitation, this report demonstrates the fabrication of electronic passive and active components with natural candelilla wax as a supporting substrate and further demonstrating the disintegration of the fabricated devices by light and heat. Further, the versatility of the fabrication process is demonstrated by patterning four different Transition Metal Dichalcogenides (TMDs) on wax substrate. The various patterned devices are exposed to heat and light triggers, and the lowest degradation time of ∼30 s was achieved. The successful demonstration of wax based electronics opens up new avenues of research in transient based electronics for potential applications in security, memory, sensors, and antennas.

Water-Soluble Polythiophene-Conjugated Polyelectrolyte-Based Memristors for Transient Electronics.

The key to protect sensitive information stored in electronic memory devices from disclosure is to develop transient electronic devices that are capable of being destroyed quickly in an emergency. By using a highly water-soluble polythiophene-conjugated polyelectrolyte PTT-NMI+Br- as an active material, which was synthesized by the reaction of poly[thiophene-alt-4,4-bis(6-bromohexyl)-4H-cyclopenta(1,2-b:5,4-b')dithiophene] with N-methylimidazole, a flexible electronic device, Al/PTT-NMI+Br-/ITO-coated PET (ITO: indium tin oxide; PET: polyethylene terephthalate), is successfully fabricated. This device shows a typical nonvolatile rewritable resistive random access memory (RRAM) effect at a sweep voltage range of ±3 V and a history-dependent memristive switching performance at a small sweep voltage range of ±1 V. Both the learning/memorizing functions and the synaptic potentiation/depression of biological systems have been emulated. The switching mechanism for the PTT-NMI+Br--based electronic device may be highly associated with ion migration under bias. Once water is added to this device, it will be destructed rapidly within 20 s due to the dissolution of the active layer. This device is not only a typical transient device but can also be used for constructing conventional memristors with long-term stability after electronic packaging. Furthermore, the soluble active layer in the device can be easily recycled from its aqueous solution and reused for fabricating new transient memristors. This work offers a train of new thoughts for designing and constructing a neuromorphic computing system that can be quickly destroyed with water in the near future.

Biocompatible and Nanoenabled Technologies for Biological Modulation

AbstractBiocompatible and nanoscale devices for biological modulation of cells and tissues possess the potential for tremendous impact on medical and industrial technologies. Typical medical devices and therapies tend to be macroscale, comprised of nonbiocompatible materials, and broadly targeted, resulting in imprecise treatments and adverse effects such as chronic immune response and tissue damage. The development of nanoenabled and biocompatible technologies—ranging from biodegradable nanoparticles for localized drug delivery to transient electronic devices for stimulation therapy to engineered biofilms with applications to nanomedicine—will continue to enable the advent of personalized medicine and precision therapies. In this review, recent research into this frontier is reviewed, first analyzing the synthesis of nanoenabled and biocompatible technologies and then presenting significant considerations regarding the development of such materials. Lastly, the latest advancements in biocompatible, nanoenabled devices are examined, followed by a discussion of the direction of future research in the field.

Transient Electronics as Sustainable Systems: From Fundamentals to Applications

AbstractThe unique attribute of transient technology is that it promotes the potential for the design and implementation of sustainable systems through their capability to fully or partially disintegrate after a predefined period of stable operation. Transient electronics have a wide range of potential applications as biomedical implants, environmental sensors, and hardware‐secured devices. Controlled disintegration of such systems without the need for harsh solvents is a step toward realizing green and sustainable electronics. In this short review, recent progress in the development of transient electronics is studied. First, an overview of the transient materials, both the substrate and electronic component, is described. Second, the mechanisms under which transiency occurs, including aqueous dissolution and thermal degradation, are reported. Third, manufacturing techniques for the fabrication of transient electronics are reviewed. And last, various transient electronic devices and their applications are discussed.

Effect of Ceramic Fillers on the Dielectric, Ferroelectric and Magnetic Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites for Flexible Electronics

Polymer nanocomposites have been investigated for their flexibility, light weight, low production cost and conformability to different shapes. In this paper, the functional properties of the polymer nanocomposites are studied by varying the ceramic fillers with bismuth ferrite, dysprosium (Dy) doped bismuth ferrite and gadolinium (Gd) doped bismuth ferrite. The developed polymer nanocomposites are seen to possess excellent magneto-dielectric behaviour, a property well-suited for developing high-frequency microwave devices. The ceramic nanoparticles were successfully synthesized using methoxy assisted sol–gel technique. The synthesized nanoparticles were subjected to crystallographic and structural characterization. The x-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern illustrated the phase purity and crystalline phases of the nanoparticles with grain sizes ranging from 60 to 90 nm. The morphology of the nanoparticles was studied through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The nanoparticles were dispersed in the polymer matrix using solution casting to form polymer-ceramic nanocomposite films. The films were subjected to broadband dielectric characterization in the X band of the frequency spectrum and films exhibited magneto-dielectric property with values of e' and µ' greater than one. The ferroelectric and ferromagnetic behaviours of the material at room temperature were studied from the PE and MH loops. Moreover, the nanocomposite films are biodegradable within a few minutes of immersion in water and can be used for transient electronics. Findings from the research can promote the invention of more materials for flexible and transient electronic devices.

Development of Magnesium Anode-Based Transient Primary Batteries.

Biodegradable primary batteries, also known as transient batteries, are essential to realize autonomous biodegradable electronic devices with high performance and advanced functionality. In this work, magnesium, copper, iron, and zinc – metals that exist as trace elements in the human body – were tested as materials for biomedical transient electronic devices. Different full cell combinations of Mg and X (where X = Cu, Fe, and Zn and the anodized form of the metals) with phosphate buffered saline (PBS) as electrolyte were studied. To form the cathodes, metal foils were anodized galvanostatically at a current density of 2.0 mA cm−2 for 30 mins. Electrochemical measurements were then conducted for each electrode combination to evaluate full cell battery performance. Results showed that the Mg−Cuanodized chemistry has the highest power density at 0.99 mW/cm2. Nominal operating voltages of 1.26 V for the first 0.50 h and 0.63 V for the next 3.7 h were observed for Mg−Cuanodized which was discharged at a current density of 0.70 mA cm−2. Among the materials tested, Mg−Cuanodized exhibited the best discharge performance with an average specific capacity of 2.94 mAh cm−2, which is comparable to previous reports on transient batteries.

Biodegradable Metallic Glass for Stretchable Transient Electronics.

Biodegradable electronics are disposable green devices whose constituents decompose into harmless byproducts, leaving no residual waste and minimally invasive medical implants requiring no removal surgery. Stretchable and flexible form factors are essential in biointegrated electronic applications for conformal integration with soft and expandable skins, tissues, and organs. Here a fully biodegradable MgZnCa metallic glass (MG) film is proposed for intrinsically stretchable electrodes with a high yield limit exploiting the advantages of amorphous phases with no crystalline defects. The irregular dissolution behavior of this amorphous alloy regarding electrical conductivity and morphology is investigated in aqueous solutions with different ion species. The MgZnCa MG nanofilm shows high elastic strain (≈2.6% in the nano‐tensile test) and offers enhanced stretchability (≈115% when combined with serpentine geometry). The fatigue resistance in repeatable stretching also improves owing to the wide range of the elastic strain limit. Electronic components including the capacitor, inductor, diode, and transistor using the MgZnCa MG electrode support its integrability to transient electronic devices. The biodegradable triboelectric nanogenerator of MgZnCa MG operates stably over 50 000 cycles and its fatigue resistant applications in mechanical energy harvesting are verified. In vitro cell toxicity and in vivo inflammation tests demonstrate the biocompatibility in biointegrated use.

Development and application of transient electronic based on degradable materials

Using degradable metals and metal oxides as electrodes or interconnecting wires, Si and SiO2 as semiconductor or dielectric layers, and degradable materials as base films or encapsulation protective layers, the physical form of transient electronic devices is partially damaged or completely disappeared by the corresponding degradation mode triggered by external stimuli, after performing specified functions or discarding them. This paper combs the practical needs of transient electronic in environmental protection, health care, information security, etc. and comprehensively analyzes the proposed process of transient electronic concepts. The current research status and development trend of Transient Electronics are discussed from three aspects: biocompatibility, full material degradation and controllable degradation. In the end, the article looks forward to the future development and application prospects of transient electronic.

Non-contact, controlled and moisture triggered black phosphorus quantum dots/PVA film for transient electronics applications

The report demonstrates non-contact, controlled, Black Phosphorus (BP) Quantum Dots (QDs)/PVA film based transient electronic devices which does not require resorption solutions or biofluids. The unique transience of BPQDs/PVA film is triggered with moisture at various temperatures and it completely degrades in the air in less than 12 min.

Design, Simulation, and Experimental Verification of a Destruction Mechanism of Transient Electronic Devices

To quickly destroy electronic devices and ensure information security, a destruction mechanism of transient electronic devices was designed in this paper. By placing the Ni-Cr film resistance and the energetic material between the chip and the package and heating the resistance by an electric current, the energetic material expanded and the chip cracked. The information on the chip was destroyed. The author simulated the temperature distribution and stress of the power-on structure in different sizes by ANSYS software. The simulation results indicate that the chip cracks within 50 ms under the trigger current of 0.5 A when a circular groove with an area of 1 mm2 and depth of 0.1 mm is filled with an expansion material with an expansion coefficient of 10−5°C−1. Then, the author prepared a sample for experimental verification. Experimental results show that the sample chip quickly cracks and fails within 10 ms under the trigger current of 1 A. The simulation and experimental results confirm the feasibility of the structure in quick destruction, which lays the foundation for developing instantaneous-failure integrated circuit products to meet information security applications.