TRANSIENT ELECTRONICS: BIOPOLYMER BASED MECHANOELECTRICAL DEFORMATION SENSORS

Transient technology is an emerging field that requires materials, devices, and systems to be capable of disappearing with minimal or non-traceable remains over a period of stable operation. Our research group is engaged in the study of biodegradable polymers that can be used in the realization of transducers or sensors by exploiting the piezoionic behavior of their composites. Among biodegradable polymers we study bacterial cellulose (BC), polyhydroxyalkanoates , pullulan, xanthan gum that are produced in nature by numerous microorganisms, including through bacterial fermentation of sugars or lipids. Thus the use of such materials in electronics involves a reduced environmental impact deriving both from their biodegradability (and in some cases from their solubility in water).