The competence centre focuses on the development of flexible organic and nanostructure-based electronics. The development and progress in flexible electronics requires close interdisciplinary cooperation between experts from the fields of chemistry, materials science, electronics, mechatronics and computer science in order to create innovative solutions and meet the diverse requirements of this emerging technology.

Materials for flexible electronics often include bendable substrates like polyimide or PET, conductive polymers such as PEDOT:PSS as well as conductive inks and pastes and nanostructured materials, i.e. luminescent quantum dots.

Flexible electronics are often fabricated by printing techniques like inkjet printing or roll-to-roll processes, or thin-film processes (for example dip and spin coating), which enable electronic components to be fabricated directly on flexible substrates.

Devices in flexible electronics can include bendable transistors, conductive inks, stretchable sensors and flexible displays that are specially designed to adapt to different shapes.

The analysis of flexible electronics by methods like various microscopy and spectroscopy techniques helps to examine the composition and structure of the flexible materials and evaluate the quality of the manufactured devices.

Flexible Electronics and Wearables

Flexible electronics and wearables represent innovative technologies that push the boundaries of traditional electronics. Flexible electronics uses bendable materials such as polyimide, enabling the production of electronic components on flexible substrates. This technology allows the development of wearables, smart devices that can be worn in clothing or on the body.

Wearables integrate flexible electronics to provide a variety of functions, from fitness trackers to smart watches and biomedical sensors. By adapting to the shape of the body, wearables not only provide comfort, but also open up new possibilities for monitoring health parameters, tracking activity and interacting with digital information. The combination of flexible electronics and wearables therefore promises an exciting future for wearable technologies that can be seamlessly integrated into our everyday lives.

The interdisciplinary research work with the Faculty of Textile and Clothing Technology can be found at: Smart Textiles

Textile Batteries

The growing interest in smart textiles is leading to the need for a local, textile-based power supply. This should be flexible and compact so that there are no restrictions on the look and feel of the textiles. There are two approaches to realize textile batteries: firstly, in a layered structure in which textile electrodes are used or, secondly, conductive yarns can be coated with a gel-like electrolyte. Both variants have already been successfully implemented at Hochschule Niederrhein using gel electrolytes based on gelatine.

Especially when textile batteries are to be used close to the body, it is important to use non-toxic and environmentally friendly materials. We were able to develop a prototype of a textile-based battery with a biodegradable gel electrolyte. By inserting a textile separator, the battery can be bent without creating a short circuit.

Nanostructure-based Light Emitters

Nanostructured materials have become increasingly important in recent years, especially in the field of light emitters. These highly developed materials offer the possibility of creating components that are not only extremely efficient but also extremely versatile.

Nanostructures form the foundation for these light emitters. Colloidal, semiconducting quantum dots (QDs), for example, are used in QD-LEDs as a light-emitting medium (known from QLED TVs or monitors), as their emission color can be precisely adjusted by the size of the nanoparticles. These tiny structures not only enable precise control of the optical properties, but also open up the possibility of producing devices that can be used either flat or in the form of individual yarns. This flexibility opens up new horizons for the integration of light emitters in a wide variety of applications.

The nanostructure-based components can be operated with both alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC), which further increases their adaptability and applications, whether in lighting technology, architecture or the automotive sector.

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