Biomimetic freestanding microfractals for flexible electronics

Barua, A, Gogoi, R, Reddy, PG, Jolaiy, S, Bodaghi, M ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0707-944X, Laukkanen, T, Speck, T, Sariola, V and Sharma, V, 2025. Biomimetic freestanding microfractals for flexible electronics. npj Flexible Electronics, 9: 10. ISSN 2397-4621

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Abstract

The microfractals of leaf skeletons can be effective substrates for flexible electronics due to their high surface-to-volume ratio, transparency, breathability and flexibility. The challenge lies in replicating these fractal surfaces at the microscale in a way that is scalable, freestanding, and integrable with various materials. In this study, we present a novel method for the biomimetic microfabrication of leaf-skeleton-based fractal surfaces. We utilized a modified electrospinning method, replacing the fiber collector with a metalized biotic collector to replicate the microstructures. The biomimetic microfractals demonstrated ~90% replication accuracy, >80% transparency, good stretchability, and breathability, and were freestanding. The method is versatile, allowing for the use of a wide range of polymers in biomimetic microfabrication. For application in flexible electronics, biomimetic conductive fractal patterns (BCFP) were fabricated by immobilizing Ag Nanowires (AgNW) using a simple spray-based method. The BCFP exhibited high conductivity with sheet resistances <20 Ω sq–1 while maintaining good transparencies. The BCFP adheres conformally to human skin, acting as an electronic skin (e-skin). To demonstrate the application, the BCFP was used to fabricate a tactile pressure sensor. In addition to their excellent transparency at low sheet resistances, stretchability, moisture resistance, and tight conformal bonding with the target surface, the BCFP also allows the evaporation of perspiration, making them suitable for long-term use as epidermal sensors. The application of BCFP in advanced bionic skin was demonstrated through gesture monitoring experiments.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	npj Flexible Electronics
Creators:	Barua, A., Gogoi, R., Reddy, P.G., Jolaiy, S., Bodaghi, M., Laukkanen, T., Speck, T., Sariola, V. and Sharma, V.
Publisher:	Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date:	2025
Volume:	9
ISSN:	2397-4621
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1038/s41528-025-00381-z DOI 2378487 Other
Rights:	© The Author(s) 2025. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Science and Technology
Record created by:	Melissa Cornwell
Date Added:	18 Feb 2025 15:43
Last Modified:	18 Feb 2025 15:43
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/53068

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