Soft electronics is a new emerging exciting field of study, targeting seamless integration of electronics components and devices into non-rigid non-planar complex surfaces and objects. Among others, a particularly promising approach to soft electronics is based on the use of organic and solution process based technologies and materials, trough the development of free-standing conformable circuits made of ultra-thin (tens of nanometers) films of various polymers [1], directly transferrable on skin (“tattoo electronics”) [2] or other complex surfaces. In the first part of the talk will review recent achievement of our group in this field, toward future applications in personal unperceivable healthcare monitoring devices [3], active tattoo and ultra-conformable printed electronic systems [4]. In the second part of the talk I’ll move from 2D to 3D plastic devices, discussing the applicability of this approach in combination with two photon polymerization (2PP) technique [5], to the direct fabrication, simple handling and seamless integration of micro-structures, toward the realization of Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), and implantable micro-sensors in the framework of the EU funded projects 5D NanoPrinting [6] and IV-Lab [7].
[1] F. Greco et al. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 5 (2013) 9461
[2] L. Ferrari et al.Advanced Science, 5 (2018) 1700771
[3] S. Taccola et al. MDPI Sensors, 21 (2021) 1197
[4] F. A. Viola et al., Nature Communication, 12 (2021) 5842
[5] M.Carlotti and V. Mattoli, Small, 15 (2019) 1902687
[6] https://5dnanoprinting.eu
[7] https://iv-lab.eu/
Virgilio Mattoli received his Laurea degree in chemistry (with honours) from the University of Pisa and the Diploma in Chemistry from the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa in 2000. In 2005 he received his PhD in bio-engineering (with honours) from Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, with a thesis focused on the control and integration of miniaturized devices for environmental application. In summer 2004 he was visiting researcher at the University of Stanford, Center for Design Research, where he focused his activity on sensors and controls modules for biomimetic robotics applications. In 2005 and 2008 he was a short term visiting researcher at Waseda University (Tokyo, Japan) working on a bio-inspired mini-robot and on development of ultra-conformable polymeric films. From June 2008 to October 2009 he obtained a temporary position of Assistant Professor of bioengineer engineering at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (SSSA). From November 2009 to July 2015, he has been a Team Leader of the Smart Materials Platform in the Center for Micro-BioRobotics of the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT). In August 2015, he obtained a permanent position as Senior Researcher Technologist at the same center. His main research interests include: smart nano- and bio-inspired materials, micro/nano-fabrication, soft/tattoo electronics, sensors, and biorobotics. He is currently involved in several research projects on these topics, including the EU EIC Projects 5D NanoPrinting and IV-Lab, of which he is the coordinator. He is author or co-author of more than hundred eighty articles on international journals, of more about fifty invited talks, and of several conferences communications, proceedings and deposited patents.
Soft electronics is a new emerging exciting field of study, targeting seamless integration of electronics components and devices into non-rigid non-planar complex surfaces and objects. Among others, a particularly promising approach to soft electronics is based on the use of organic and solution process based technologies and materials, trough the development of free-standing conformable circuits made of ultra-thin (tens of nanometers) films of various polymers [1], directly transferrable on skin (“tattoo electronics”) [2] or other complex surfaces. In the first part of the talk will review recent achievement of our group in this field, toward future applications in personal unperceivable healthcare monitoring devices [3], active tattoo and ultra-conformable printed electronic systems [4]. In the second part of the talk I’ll move from 2D to 3D plastic devices, discussing the applicability of this approach in combination with two photon polymerization (2PP) technique [5], to the direct fabrication, simple handling and seamless integration of micro-structures, toward the realization of Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), and implantable micro-sensors in the framework of the EU funded projects 5D NanoPrinting [6] and IV-Lab [7].
[1] F. Greco et al. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 5 (2013) 9461
[2] L. Ferrari et al.Advanced Science, 5 (2018) 1700771
[3] S. Taccola et al. MDPI Sensors, 21 (2021) 1197
[4] F. A. Viola et al., Nature Communication, 12 (2021) 5842
[5] M.Carlotti and V. Mattoli, Small, 15 (2019) 1902687
[6] https://5dnanoprinting.eu
[7] https://iv-lab.eu/
Virgilio Mattoli received his Laurea degree in chemistry (with honours) from the University of Pisa and the Diploma in Chemistry from the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa in 2000. In 2005 he received his PhD in bio-engineering (with honours) from Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, with a thesis focused on the control and integration of miniaturized devices for environmental application. In summer 2004 he was visiting researcher at the University of Stanford, Center for Design Research, where he focused his activity on sensors and controls modules for biomimetic robotics applications. In 2005 and 2008 he was a short term visiting researcher at Waseda University (Tokyo, Japan) working on a bio-inspired mini-robot and on development of ultra-conformable polymeric films. From June 2008 to October 2009 he obtained a temporary position of Assistant Professor of bioengineer engineering at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (SSSA). From November 2009 to July 2015, he has been a Team Leader of the Smart Materials Platform in the Center for Micro-BioRobotics of the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT). In August 2015, he obtained a permanent position as Senior Researcher Technologist at the same center. His main research interests include: smart nano- and bio-inspired materials, micro/nano-fabrication, soft/tattoo electronics, sensors, and biorobotics. He is currently involved in several research projects on these topics, including the EU EIC Projects 5D NanoPrinting and IV-Lab, of which he is the coordinator. He is author or co-author of more than hundred eighty articles on international journals, of more about fifty invited talks, and of several conferences communications, proceedings and deposited patents.
