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Soft electronics based on particle engulfment printing
Rongzhou Lin1,2, Chengmei Jiang3,4,5, Sippanat Achavananthadith3
1School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.
Nature Electronics
|December 18, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed a new method to embed functional particles directly into soft polymers for stretchable electronics. This particle engulfment technique simplifies fabrication and enables advanced electronic device capabilities.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Science
- Electronics Engineering
Background:
- Stretchable electronics require integrating functional particles into soft polymer matrices.
- Current fabrication methods involve liquid dispersions, posing challenges with material compatibility and fluid mechanics control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a novel method for direct particle incorporation into soft polymers.
- To overcome limitations of traditional fabrication techniques for stretchable electronic materials.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing particle engulfment, where particles are spontaneously subsumed by the polymer matrix driven by surface energy.
- Ensuring particle size is smaller than the polymer's elastocapillary length for stable embedding.
- Fabricating multilayered, multimaterial elastic devices.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated successful direct incorporation of functional particles into soft polymers.
- Achieved energetically stable configurations with deeply embedded particles.
- Fabricated functional devices with wireless sensing, communication, and power transfer capabilities.
Conclusions:
- Particle engulfment offers a simplified and effective approach for fabricating advanced stretchable electronic materials.
- This method broadens the possibilities for creating complex, integrated electronic devices with enhanced functionalities.
