Functional Materials for Smart Devices

Atomically thin semiconductors driving smart sensors with real-world impact Focusing on atomically thin semiconductors at RMIT University, we are creating the next generation of ultra-sensitive sensors and smart systems. They are smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient than ever before. Our innovation begins at the atomic scale. My colleagues and I are engineering two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors such as graphene, transition-metal dichalcogenides, and transition-metal oxides - materials only a few atoms thick yet possessing extraordinary electrical and optical tunability. These quantum-thin layers exhibit exceptional charge-carrier mobility, excitonic behaviour, and mechanical flexibility, unlocking new frontiers in wearable sensors, ultra-fast optoelectronics, and bio-integrated devices. I’m lucky to work in world-class research facilities, which serve as the backbone of innovation, enabling interdisciplinary collaboration across scales, and alongside several national research centres, including the ARC Centre of Excellence in Optical Microcombs for Breakthrough Science (COMBS) . These hubs help connect my research to a global network of experts in photonics, quantum materials, and low-energy electronics. What truly distinguishes our approach is the ability to translate atomic-scale discoveries into intelligent, connected systems. Atomically thin semiconductor devices are being integrated into Internet of Things platforms, wireless communication modules, and AI-assisted signal processors, creating systems that not only sense but also interpret and respond. These platforms enable real-time environmental monitoring, such as detecting trace gases and pollutants, as well as advanced biomedical diagnostics, where bio-field-effect transistors (bio-FETs) and photonic biosensors can identify disease biomarkers at early stages. In the energy and mobility sectors, high-mobility 2D semiconductors are driving low-power electronics and adaptive control systems for sustainable technologies. RMIT’s multidisciplinary engineering ecosystem ensures each layer, from material design to data analytics, contributes to intelligent functionality. A notable example of this multi-layered ecosystem at work is the world-first ingestible gas-sensing capsule, now commercialised by Atmo Biosciences. Incorporating nanoscale sensors, a smart processor, and a wireless transmission module, the capsule measures intestinal gases in vivo and transmits real-time data to reveal insights into gut health. It exemplifies how nanomaterial-enabled sensors can evolve into life-changing medical technologies. By uniting atomically thin materials, smart system integration, and global collaboration, my colleagues and I continue to lead in Electrical and Electronic Engineering research. We are shaping a future where every atom powers intelligent, sustainable, and connected technologies. Interested in collaborating? Get in touch: Jian Zhen Ou - RMIT University

𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗿𝗮-𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗼𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴. Wearable flexible strain sensors and single-electrode triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have emerged as promising building blocks for smart electronic skin applications. However, only a few studies have succeeded in integrating both technologies into a single device while maintaining stable and reliable performance. Here, the authors present a simple and scalable fabrication approach using spraying, electrostatic spinning, and vacuum filtration to develop a multifunctional system comprising a water-resistant strain sensor and a stretch-insensitive TENG. The strain sensor is constructed from carboxylated carbon nanotubes (CNTs-COOH), fluorinated alkyl silane-modified Ti3C2Tx (FAS-MXene), and a flexible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The TENG consists of a film made of polyvinylpyrrolidone-modified CNTs (PVP-CNTs), Ti3C2Tx (MXene), and electrospun thermoplastic polyurethane nanofibres (TPU) as an electrode. When employed as a strain sensor, the device demonstrates high sensitivity, a wide sensing range (0 % to 100 % strain), excellent water resistance, and outstanding durability (5000 cycles at 50 % strain). These properties are achieved through MXene surface chemical modification and a unique microcrack structure developed under strain. As a highly stretchable TENG, the device exhibits remarkable stability, with minimal changes in relative resistance (0.03 at 20 % strain) even after 5700 cycles, owing to the strong adhesion forces generated by hydrogen bonding interactions between the porous TPU film, PVP-CNTs, and MXene. The integrated device enables simultaneous strain sensing and self-powering capabilities, offering a versatile platform for applications such as health monitoring, encrypted information transmission, and object recognition. The low cost and ease of mass fabrication of this electronic skin mark a significant advancement towards future multifunctional wearable technologies. https://lnkd.in/gQmgEkeP

China just bent the rules of electronics — literally. Facinating? Chinese and global researchers are advancing Metal-Polymer Conductors (MPCs) — circuits made from liquid metals like gallium–indium embedded in elastic polymers — that defy traditional rigid wiring by remaining conductive even when stretched up to 500% or more. Why this is a big deal: 🔹 High Stretchability: Certain liquid-metal conductors maintain electrical conductivity even when stretched 5× their original length. 🔹 Durability: Printable metal-polymer conductors can withstand over 10,000 cycles of stretching with minimal resistance change (<3%). 🔹 Conductivity: Hybrid conductors based on indium alloys can achieve extremely high conductivity (~2.98 × 10⁶ S/m) with minimal resistance change under extreme strain. 🔹 Fine Feature Sizes: Advanced techniques can pattern circuits as small as 5 micrometers, rivaling conventional PCBs. Market Insight: The global market for wearable and flexible devices is expected to surge into the hundreds of billions of dollars, with advanced stretchable materials at the core of the next wave of innovation. (Wearable tech projected >US$150B by 2026 in soft electronics growth — wearable industry data) Where AI Fits In: AI is not just hype — it’s accelerating how we design and discover materials like MPCs. AI/ML models help predict material properties — like conductivity and mechanical resilience — before physical prototypes are made. Computational simulations can evaluate thousands of polymer + metal combinations far faster than physical testing alone. AI-assisted optimization reduces lab iterations, cutting time and cost in early-stage development. In other words: AI + materials science = faster discovery of smarter, stretchable electronics. Potential Applications: Soft robotics that mimic human motion Wearables that feel like fabric Artificial skin with embedded sensing Health monitoring devices that conform to the body On-skin motion recognition and bioelectronics. The era of electronics you can twist, stretch, and wear is here — and AI is helping make it a reality. #FlexibleElectronics #MaterialsScience #AIinInnovation #SoftRobotics #WearableTech #DeepTech #FutureOfElectronics #Innovation

Just published today in issue 36 of the journal Advanced Functional Materials, our latest work on soft, skin-interfaced microfluidic devices for capture of sweat and in situ analysis of sweat biochemistry – sometimes referred to as ‘lab on the skin’ devices (https://lnkd.in/gQCZ5wje). This paper contains quite some substantial content, probably two or three papers-worth: (1) sophisticated multilayer, 3D designs in the microchannels, valves and reservoirs of these devices, to expand the dynamic range and sensitivity of colorimetric assays of sweat composition, (2) tailored surface chemistries and collection structures to greatly enhance the efficiency of sweat transport from the surface of the skin into the microfluidic systems, and (3) colorimetric reagents to allow quantitative evaluation of the concentrations of xanthine and creatinine in sweat, metabolic byproducts of caffeine and creatine, respectively.  The resulting devices work extremely well -- and they look super cool (not, by the way, an insignificant consideration!) More importantly, these advances are not just academic curiosities – they all have direct commercial relevance to product platforms (sold at millions of units) engineered by the team at Epicore Biosystems, a spinout from our group, with applications in sports, worker safety and medicine. Our goal here, as with many of our other projects, is to do science with potential for broader societal benefit! Thanks to all of the many co-authors on this expansive paper, but most significantly Da Som Y. (former postdoc, now on the faculty at Chung-Ang University), Mingyu Zhou (former undergraduate researcher and now PhD student in the group) and Shupeng Li (PhD student in Prof. Yonggang Huang group) for their combined leadership in experiment and theory; and to senior co-authors Dr. Alexander J. Aranyosi (scientist at Epicore Biosystems, for digital color extraction algorithms), Prof. Roozbeh Ghaffari (Research Associate Professor here, for overall input) and Prof. Yonggang Huang (long-time collaborator, for theory) for their guidance. Great work everyone -- glad to finally see this paper in the current issue of the journal!

The Nano-Bio research group at Atlantic Technological University overcomes long-standing challenges associated with high-temperature processing and weak interfacial bonding between polymers and fabrics, unlocking new possibilities for next-generation wearable energy harvesting systems. The team’s breakthrough centres on the fabrication of textile-based triboelectric nanogenerators (T-TENGs), capable of converting mechanical motion into usable electrical energy. Using a low-cost fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printing technique, the researchers successfully deposited polypropylene (PP)—a triboactive thermoplastic—onto conductive, flexible fabrics. The result is a mechanically robust, finely patterned surface that enables strong dielectric-fabric adhesion and exceptional triboelectric performance. The research is led by Dr Aswathy Babu and a multidisciplinary team of researchers of the Nano-Bio research group at Atlantic Technological University. The work was carried out in collaboration with the University of Glasgow, Heriot-Watt University, PEM Technology Gateway Centre, ATU, and I-Form Research Ireland Centre for Advanced Manufacturing at the University College Dublin. This research is part of a €1.5 million collaborative project funded by Research Ireland (formerly SFI) and the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The consortium is led by Prof Daniel Mulvihill of the University of Glasgow and includes researchers from ATU, Tyndall National Institute and Heriot-Watt University, UK. The project’s overarching goal is to harness human motion as a renewable energy source using triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) technology—an eco-friendly and sustainable energy harvesting approach. The resulting T-TENGs are not only highly efficient but also flexible, durable, washable, and scalable—key attributes for real-world deployment. Demonstrating their practical applicability, the team successfully integrated these energy harvesters into an IoT-enabled adaptive touch sensing system, pointing to immediate potential in domains such as smart wearables, real-time health monitoring, soft robotics, and environmental sensing. This work was recently published in the journal Nano Energy (Volume 142, September 2025, 111218).

From functional textiles to RF sensing? When I think of #UNIQLO, I start wondering: Is Japan actually stronger in functional textiles than we usually think? Materials from companies like #Teijin Limited and #Toray Industries, Inc. are not just fabrics. They are engineered to do something: * deodorization * antibacterial control * moisture management At first glance, none of this seems related to electromagnetics. ⸻ But then a simple thought came to mind. If a textile can adsorb molecules (like odor components), then it is already interacting with the environment at a chemical level. And if that interaction changes the material properties — for example, effective permittivity — then in principle, it should be possible to read it using RF. A simple relation such as f ≈ 1 / sqrt(εeff) suggests that even small changes in εeff could shift a resonance. ⸻ One possible implementation could be quite simple. A microstrip patch antenna or a split-ring resonator can be coated with a thin layer of functional textile or polymer containing deodorizing/adsorbing fibers. By placing this layer near the region of strong electric field, molecular adsorption (e.g., ammonia or moisture) perturbs the effective permittivity and loss. As a result, the resonance shifts and the reflection response (S11) changes, which can be read wirelessly. For instance, a small change in εeff would lead to a measurable shift following f ≈ 1 / sqrt(εeff). Using a reference resonator without coating, or a dual-resonance design, could help compensate for temperature and humidity effects. ⸻ So what if we combine: * functional textiles (as chemically responsive layers) * antennas or metasurfaces (as RF transducers) to create a new type of sensing interface? Not a dedicated “sensor material,” but everyday textiles acting as sensors. ⸻ This might open interesting directions: * wearable sensing (odor, sweat, environment) * passive, wireless monitoring * textile-based chipless RFID sensing ⸻ It’s still just an idea, but an intriguing one: Materials designed for comfort might also be capable of sensing. ⸻ Curious to hear your thoughts — Is this already being explored more than I realize, or is there still room to push this further? ⸻ #FunctionalTextiles #RF #Metasurface #Sensing #WearableTech #SmartMaterials #Electromagnetics #Innovation

Polymers are no longer passive materials. They’re becoming intelligent systems. . What you’re looking at is not just a beautiful structure; it’s the future of polymer functionality. . By integrating Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs) into polymer matrices, we’re redefining what polymers can do, not just what they’re made of. . MOFs are crystalline, highly porous networks built from metal nodes and organic ligands. On their own, they act like molecular traps and filters. . But when embedded inside polymers, something bigger happens: . 🔹 Structure meets function Mechanical strength and thermal stability increase dramatically. 🔹 Selectivity is engineered Polymer membranes achieve precise gas separation, including CO₂ capture, at the nanoscale. 🔹 Polymers become responsive Sensitivity to light, pH, chemicals, or environmental triggers becomes possible. 🔹 Additives evolve Flame retardancy, antimicrobial action, and catalytic behavior can be built directly into masterbatches and composites. 🔹 Packaging turns active Films that absorb ethylene, moisture, or odors extend shelf life by design. . This is why polymer–MOF hybrids are not incremental improvements. They represent a shift in material identity. . Polymers move from: ➡️ passive → active ➡️ inert → functional ➡️ structural → intelligent . It’s no coincidence that Nobel-level research (Chemistry, 2025) recognized the transformative impact of MOFs and their hybrid applications. The real question for polymer engineers and material scientists is no longer “Can we add MOFs?” It’s “What new function should this polymer deliver?” . 💬 Where do you see polymer–MOF systems creating the biggest industrial impact: gas separation, membranes, packaging, or smart additives? . Peyman Ezzati PhD Polymer Scientist . #PolymerScience #MOF #AdvancedMaterials #SmartPolymers #Nanocomposites #GasSeparation #CO2Capture #FunctionalMaterials #MaterialsEngineering #FutureOfPolymers

New article alert: published in Biotechnology for Sustainable Materials (BMC Springer). It's the 18th article, published in 2025 in Biotechnology for Sustainable Materials titled “Nanocellulose-based materials functionalized with reduced graphene oxide and titanium dioxide for potential applications in electronic devices.” This study reports the development of electroconductive biocomposite films derived from nanocellulose extracted from agave bagasse, an agro-industrial residue. Two types of nanocellulose—nanocrystals (CNCs) and nanofibrils (CNFs)—were functionalized with titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) to enhance conductivity. The CNC-based films exhibited higher crystallinity (84%) and achieved impressive electrical conductivity of up to 23.2 S/m, highlighting their promise for use in flexible electronics, sensors, and energy storage devices. The findings emphasize the valorization of agricultural waste into high-performance, sustainable materials, supporting the transition toward green electronics and circular bioeconomy. Full article link and it's free to download and share: https://lnkd.in/gamUWVE2 Researchers working on renewable and biodegradable materials are invited to consider Biotechnology for Sustainable Materials for their next submission—a full publication fee waiver is available upon prior permission from the editorial office. #SustainableMaterials #Nanocellulose #GrapheneOxide #Bioelectronics #GreenTechnology #AgrowasteValorization #OpenAccess #ResearchPublication

Interested in #4DPrinting of #ShapeMemoryPolymers (#SMP)? Our recent study introduces #PMMA/ #TPU/ #Fe3O4 #nanocomposites, a novel blend for shape memory and remote #magnetic actuation. The combination of PMMA's rigidity and TPU's flexibility creates a composite with superior toughness and #shaperecovery, addressing the brittleness of traditional SMPs. The nanocomposites show an impressive 10-15% improvement in mechanical strength. With the addition of 20 wt% Fe3O4 nanoparticles, the materials demonstrate full shape recovery within 1.5 minutes in a magnetic field. This blend also enhances flexibility, while maintaining a perfect shape fixity ratio. These composites are ideal for #softrobotics, #biomedical devices, and smart #sensors and #actuators, enabling remote control and durability. More details can be found in the open access paper: https://lnkd.in/eCQmFaCc Research Team: Afshin Ahangari, Hossein Doostmohammadi, Majid Baniassadi, Mostafa Baghani, Mahdi Bodaghi

#MXene #fibers are on the rise. Since 2017, over 1500 studies have explored their potential in #wearables, #sensors, #energystorage, and #EMIshielding. But we’re just getting started. As new MXene compositions and properties are discovered, exciting frontiers in smart textiles and multifunctional fibers continue to emerge. In our latest article in Advanced Materials (~IF 26), Prof Joselito Razal and I teamed up with leading researchers in the field of MXenes (Prof. Yury Gogotsi, Dr. Lingyi Bi, PhD and Dr. Jizhen Zhang) and fiber science (Prof. Xungai Wang and Dr. Shayan Seyedin) to share our perspective on fiber-based MXene applications, which are often overlooked in previous reviews. We also highlight the critical challenges in synthesis, scalability, and long-term durability that must be addressed to fully realize their potential. Stay tuned, there are so much more #MXenes can offer! Find out more at https://lnkd.in/gFHHS2Qm Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University ARC Research Hub for Future Fibres #MXene #SmartTextiles #MaterialsScience #EnergyStorage #WearableElectronics #FunctionalFibers #AdvancedMaterials #Sensors #EMIShielding #Nanotechnology