Electronic skin (e-skin), one of the most innovative fields the electronics industry is currently working on, is a flexible, stretchable and often self-healing material designed to mimic the properties of human skin. These materials can be integrated or serve as a basis for medical devices, which will facilitate the detection of diseases, medical therapies and, in general, more advanced health monitoring.
However, there are technical barriers to overcome. Current electronic materials are rigid and non-degradable, while the human body is soft, dynamic, elastic and self-healing. Additionally, batteries for e-skin systems are heavy and made from hazardous materials. Other more advanced portable energy sources, such as enzymatic biobatteries and biofuel cells, also have technical limitations. Therefore, there is a need to develop a new class of electronic materials that have skin-like properties.
Ana Pina, from the Antònio Xavier Institute of Chemical and Biological Technology (ITQB-Nova), at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, leads a team working on the development of an ultra-thin, flexible, light and biocompatible battery to power these e-devices. skin that combines innovative collagen-like materials and flexible microelectronics for wearable applications. The completely organic battery is composed of biomaterials that are formed through the self-assembly process of collagen mimetic peptides. These peptides not only replicate the fundamental structure of collagen, a vital protein that supports the health and architecture of our skin by providing strength, elasticity and firmness, but they also provide the biobattery with electrical conductivity. The researcher advances that the group hopes to have the first prototype by the end of next year.
Transparency statement: This research is funded by the “la Caixa” Foundation, an entity that supports the Big Vang scientific information channel.
