Flexible Alternating-Current Electroluminescent Devices for Reliable Identification of Fingerprints

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Bioelectronics
• Sensors

Background:

• Flexible bioelectronic devices are crucial for wearable technology and biosignal detection.
• Alternating-current electroluminescence (ACEL) devices show promise as sensitive sensing systems for various targets, including fingerprints.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop high-performance ACEL devices for sensitive detection of ionic liquids and for fingerprint recognition.
• To investigate the influence of specific materials on device performance.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of ACEL devices using Ag electrodes, PET substrates, FKM/EMI ionogel, and a ZnS:Cu/BaTiO3/Ecoflex emissive layer.
• Testing device performance with various ionic liquids and for sodium ion (Na+) detection.
• Evaluating fingerprint collection and identification capabilities, including on contaminated or bent surfaces.

Main Results:

• The ACEL devices successfully emitted bright green and blue light upon contact with ionic liquids.
• Achieved a limit of detection of 17.1 μM for Na+ in the range of 100-800 mM.
• Demonstrated superior performance in fingerprint identification compared to commercial devices, distinguishing even from challenging surfaces.

Conclusions:

• The developed ACEL devices exhibit high performance for ionic liquid sensing and advanced capabilities in fingerprint collection and identification.
• These flexible bioelectronic devices show significant potential for applications in identity recognition and biosensing.