Metal-polymer nanocomposites produced by supersonic cluster beam implantation with tunable electrical, optical and mechanical properties

Prof. Paolo Milani

Dept. of Physics, University of Milano, Italy

Abstract

Stretchable functional materials are enabling ingredients for the fabrication of wearable electronics, smart prosthetics and soft robotics. These applications require the integration of electronic, optical and actuation capabilities on soft, conformable and biocompatible polymeric substrates [1].

Recently it has been demonstrated that neutral metallic nanoparticles produced in the gas phase and aerodynamically accelerated in a supersonic expansion can be implanted in a polymeric substrate to form a conductive nanocomposite with superior resilience and interesting structural and functional properties [2-4]. This approach is called supersonic cluster beam implantation (SCBI).

Here I present experimental and theoretical results about the production of devices based on metal/polymer nanocomposites with electrical, optical and mechanical properties that can be precisely tuned by controlling the fraction of metal clusters implanted in the polymeric matrix [5-8]. State of the art applications and devices for stretchable optics, neurostimulation and soft robotics will be shown and discussed.

References

[1] S. Bauer, et al., Adv. Mater. 26, 149 (2014)

[2] G. Corbelli, et al., Adv. Mater. 23, 4504 (2011)

[3] C. Ghisleri, et al., Laser & Photonics Rev. 7, 1020 (2013)

[4] C. Ghisleri, et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 104, 061910 (2014)

[5] R. Cardia, et al., J. Appl. Phys. 113, 224307 (2013)

[6] C. Ghisleri, et al., J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 47, 015301 (2014)

[7] F. Borghi, et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 106, 091907 (2015)

[8] F. Greco, et al., ACS Appl. Mater. & Interf. 13, 7060 (2015)