Smart materials for flexible, conducting and self-healing interfaces

• Grant number: 17/11277-4
• Support type: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Effective date (Start): March 01, 2018
• Effective date (End): February 28, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Antonio Riul Júnior
• Grantee: Antonio Riul Júnior
• Host: Ray Baughman
• Home Institution: Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin (IFGW). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Local de pesquisa : University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas), United States

Abstract

This project aims the fabrication of hybrid nanostructures based on carbon nanotubes, graphene flakes and polymers, envisaging the formation of self-healing conductive interfaces. It is attractive from the technological point of view as the next generation of wearable and implantable electronics will require mechanical flexibility, large area, easy processing and controlled thin film thickness. Within this context, the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique is an elegant way to build up multilayered interlocked nanostructures with controlled thickness and morphology at nanoscale, allowing the integration of CNTs, graphene nanoflakes, polymers, metal nanoparticles, enzymes, DNA, etc., synergistically combining them in distinct molecular architectures with characteristics and properties different from the individual components. The deposition of LbL films on stretchable plastic materials also affords significant weight and thickness reduction, while the self-healing property from polymers is vital to increase the lifetime and incorporation in biological systems. It is a great opportunity to contribute in the development of wearable or implantable electronics, energy harvesting and biosensing. Prof. Baughman is an outstanding researcher in Materials Science has 82 issued US patents and 415 refereed publications, with over 49,000 citations and h-index 100, with huge expertize in ferroelectrics, conducting polymers, carbon nanotubes and photonic crystals. On our side we can contribute with LbL film formation, functionalization of graphene nanoflakes, some work with conducting polymers, and characterization of the LbL nanostructures formed.