Université de Montréal

Published purpose

Research on flexible and stretchable electronics can bring about new materials with light weight, mechanical flexibility and durability, allowing simple device integration, along with low-cost and processability. They can be used in a wide range of applications such as flexible displays, energy generation and storage, E-textiles , sensors, especially in the field of sensors, health care and smart human-machine interface. Innovation of material design, synthesis, and fabrication holds the key to the development in this area and the biggest challenge is to allow the entire electronic system to be bent and stretched. Printed electronics is an emerging technology that enables printing of processable materials (organic, inorganic and hybrid) and electronic devices. The project proposes a new strategy to design and test new molecular ink formulation to achieve elastomer enhancement of such materials and devices. The new printable molecular ink will incorporate monomers and photo-initiators. UV irradiation will allow a photopolymerization process to produce elastomers incorporating conductive traces with enhanced stretchability. This process will enable the incorporation of a selection of desirable amount of elastomer monomers into inks that were previously unattainable because it is only limited by the solubility of elastomer polymers in the ink carrier solutions. The new materials are expected to improve the general performance of wearable electronic devices so that sport garments and personal healthcare devices can remain functional following repeated stretching cycles. The development of the molecular ink will differentiate the new technology from competitors and lead to future commercialization of the products. Young researchers will be trained for the research and development of new materials and new technology in the project.