Electronic skin (e-skin) can mimic the functionalities and mechanical properties of natural skin. We created the first dynamic covalent thermoset-based e-skin, which is connected through robust covalent bonds, rendering the resulting devices good chemical and thermal stability at service condition. By doping the dynamic covalent thermoset with conductive silver nanoparticles, we demonstrate a robust yet rehealable, fully recyclable, and malleable e-skin with tactile, temperature, flow, and humidity sensing capabilities. After rehealing or recycling, the e-skin regains mechanical and electrical properties comparable to the original e-skin. In addition, malleability enables the e-skin to permanently conform to complex, curved surfaces without introducing excessive interfacial stresses. These properties of the e-skin yield an economical and eco-friendly technology that can find broad applications in robotics, prosthetics, health care, and human-computer interface.
References:
Zhanan Zou, Chengpu Zhu, Yan Li, Xinfeng Lei, Wei Zhang, Jianliang Xiao, “Rehealable, fully recyclable, and malleable electronic skin enabled by dynamic covalent thermoset nanocomposite,” Science Advances (2018).