Biomimetic Nanocomposites for Bio-Integrated Electronics

Abstract

Developing advanced technologies for healthcare and human-machine interfaces requires multifunctional tools that can naturally integrate with the human body. The existing systems, as exemplified by a variety of medical electronics and interventional tools, provide critical capabilities for physiological investigation and therapies. However, their rigid, static and bulky formats limit their possibility of naturally interfacing with the biological tissues that are soft, dynamic and three-dimensional. This presentation will focus on our efforts on using bio-inspired nanomaterials for building soft microsystems that can naturally interface with biological tissues. We use self-organized nanofibers to construct porous composites that resemble load-bearing soft tissues. Multiscale fabrication techniques generate reconfigurable 3D structures, allowing for integration of advanced electronic components and biomaterials into organ-compliant forms. As exemplified by artificial cartilage, kirigami optics, and cardiac electronic membranes, our efforts span across a continuous spectrum of materials science and device engineering. The integrative approaches seek to enable fully functional systems for implantable biomedical tools, tissue engineering platforms, wearable electronics, and many other applications.