Biocompatible flexible power generators

Flexible and ultra-thin devices are gaining a lot of interest as a future generation of low-cost electronics, power sources, displays, sensors and implantable devices. Such applications require high performance and robust technology of the printed circuits or thin-film transistors on plastic supports. A wide variety of semiconductor materials have been explored for that purpose ranging from organic polymers, carbon nanotubes, silicon, metal oxides, and inorganic wires, ribbons or belts. Zinc oxide (ZnO) has a number of potentially attractive applications in flexible electrochemical coupled devices. ZnO possesses unique piezoelectric and semiconducting properties that can be utilized in power nanogenerators, wireless self-powered nanodevices which can facilitate conversion of mechanical, vibrational or hydraulic energy into electricity. This research project will focus on development of new strategies for the patterning and fabrication of densely packed and aligned ZnO nanowires (NWs) on flexible polyimide (PI) supports for the fabrication of self-powered biocompatible and implantable nanodevices. The research will include studies to understand the mechanical and piezoelectric behavior of ZnO on polymeric substrates. The overall objective is to develop new classes of nanogenerators and to perform state-of-the-art studies at a research group which has almost 20 years of experience in fabrication of patterned structures, solid state physics, self-assembly, microcontact printing and many other areas.