Flexible Electronic Skin Based on Silk/Polyurethane Composite Film Fabricated by Ink-Jet Printing and Electrodeposition

Natural materials have irreplaceable advantages in the preparation of in vivo/vitro electronic devices. However, most current fabrication techniques for flexible electronics are not compatible with natural materials due to mechanical and chemical stability issues. In this work, an ink-jet printing and electrodeposition coupling technique is introduced to fabricate pattern electrodes on silk fibroin and polyurethane (SF-PU) composite films. The addition of PU can improve the chemical properties of SF film while maintaining its considerable permeability and biocompatibility. Owing to such composite film, different pattern electrodes are successfully printed by ink-jet printing technology. Subsequently, a layer of nickel (Ni) is electrodeposited on printed electrodes to protect and further enhance the conductivity the electrodes (<0.01 O cm(-1)). Based on these double-layer pattern electrodes, an integrated protein-based electronic skin (PPES) is developed for pressure distribution monitoring. This ink-jet and electrodeposition (IJ-ED) coupling technique is particularly beneficial to the manufacture of next-generation in vivo/vitro bioelectronic devices.

Automated summary

A technique combining ink-jet printing and electrodeposition is introduced to fabricate pattern electrodes on silk fibroin and polyurethane composite films. The addition of polyurethane improves the chemical properties of silk fibroin while maintaining its permeability and biocompatibility. Different pattern electrodes are successfully printed using ink-jet printing technology, and a layer of nickel is electrodeposited to protect and enhance the conductivity of the electrodes. This technique is beneficial for the manufacture of next-generation in vivo/vitro bioelectronic devices.