One-Step Direct Writing and In Situ Poling of Ultrathin Piezoelectric Microarchitectures for Organ-Conformal...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Manufacturing ultrathin, stretchable piezoelectric biointerfaces faces challenges in achieving precise microarchitectural patterning and stable polarization.
• Existing methods often require post-processing, limiting integration and performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a one-step manufacturing strategy for concurrent fabrication and polarization of ultrathin piezoelectric microarchitectures.
• To overcome the trade-offs between piezoelectric performance, stretchability, and ultrathin form factors.

Main Methods:

• A one-step electrohydrodynamic (EHD) direct-writing strategy with in situ poling was employed.
• Mechanism-guided design using thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and P(VDF-TrFE) was utilized, controlling EHD deposition and polymer crystallization.
• Sub-20 µm serpentine microarchitectures were fabricated and integrated with an elastomeric biointerface.

Main Results:

• Achieved a high and stable piezoelectric coefficient of 34.5 pm V⁻¹ in a highly stretchable architecture.
• Demonstrated excellent mechanical compliance, long-term piezoelectric stability, and architectural programmability.
• Validated reliable detection and classification of gastric mechanical states using ex vivo demonstrations.

Conclusions:

• The developed EHD strategy offers a generalizable approach for creating advanced piezoelectric biointerfaces.
• This manufacturing-enabled platform overcomes key limitations, paving the way for organ-conformal bioelectronics and soft sensing applications.
• The technology holds significant potential for future healthcare systems and biointegrated electronics.