At the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia (RMIT), scientists are working on flexible body-worn patches that can detect the presence of different chemicals. They’ve developed a prototype device that’s transparent and conforms to the skin, while being able to detect the presence of hydrogen and nitrogen dioxide, as well as unhealthy levels of ultraviolet radiation.
The device relies on ultra thin sheets of zinc oxide, the compound commonly used inside sunscreens, as the core of the UV sensor. By having these sheets slide next to each other, the sensor was able to be made bendable and stretchable while maintaining its ability to detect UV light over long periods of time.
From the study abstract in journal Small:
Here, a distinctive microtectonic effect enabled oxygen-deficient, nanopatterned zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films on an elastomeric substrate are introduced to realize large area, stretchable, transparent, and ultraportable sensors. The unique surface structures are exploited to create stretchable gas and ultraviolet light sensors, where the functional oxide itself is stretchable, both of which outperform their rigid counterparts under room temperature conditions. Nanoscale ZnO features are embedded in an elastomeric matrix function as tunable diffraction gratings, capable of sensing displacements with nanometre accuracy. These devices and the microtectonic oxide thin film approach show promise in enabling functional, transparent, and wearable electronics.
Study in journal Small: Stretchable and Tunable Microtectonic ZnO-Based Sensors and Photonics…
Source: RMIT…
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