Soft network composite materials with deterministic and bio-inspired designs

Kyung-In Jang, Ha Uk Chung, Sheng Xu, Chi Hwan Lee, Haiwen Luan, Jaewoong Jeong, Huanyu Cheng, Gwang-Tae Kim, Sang Youn Han, Jung Woo Lee, Jeonghyun Kim, Moongee Cho, Fuxing Miao, Yiyuan Yang, Han Na Jung, Matthew Flavin, Howard Liu, Gil Woo Kong, Ki Jun Yu, Sang Il Rhee, Jeahoon Chung, Byunggik Kim, Jean Won Kwak, Myoung Hee Yun, Jin Young Kim, Young Min Song, Ungyu Paik, Yihui Zhang (), Yonggang Huang () and John A. Rogers ()
Additional contact information
Kyung-In Jang: Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Ha Uk Chung: Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Sheng Xu: Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Chi Hwan Lee: Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Haiwen Luan: Center for Engineering and Health and Skin Disease Research Center, Northwestern University
Jaewoong Jeong: Computer and Energy Engineering, University of Colorado
Huanyu Cheng: Center for Engineering and Health and Skin Disease Research Center, Northwestern University
Gwang-Tae Kim: Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Sang Youn Han: Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Jung Woo Lee: Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Jeonghyun Kim: Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Moongee Cho: Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Fuxing Miao: Center for Engineering and Health and Skin Disease Research Center, Northwestern University
Yiyuan Yang: Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Han Na Jung: Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Matthew Flavin: Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Howard Liu: Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Gil Woo Kong: Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Ki Jun Yu: Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Sang Il Rhee: Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Jeahoon Chung: Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Byunggik Kim: Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Jean Won Kwak: Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Myoung Hee Yun: Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Jin Young Kim: School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute Science and Technology (UNIST)
Young Min Song: Biomedical Research Institute, Pusan National University
Ungyu Paik: Hanyang University
Yihui Zhang: Center for Engineering and Health and Skin Disease Research Center, Northwestern University
Yonggang Huang: Center for Engineering and Health and Skin Disease Research Center, Northwestern University
John A. Rogers: Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Nature Communications, 2015, vol. 6, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Hard and soft structural composites found in biology provide inspiration for the design of advanced synthetic materials. Many examples of bio-inspired hard materials can be found in the literature; far less attention has been devoted to soft systems. Here we introduce deterministic routes to low-modulus thin film materials with stress/strain responses that can be tailored precisely to match the non-linear properties of biological tissues, with application opportunities that range from soft biomedical devices to constructs for tissue engineering. The approach combines a low-modulus matrix with an open, stretchable network as a structural reinforcement that can yield classes of composites with a wide range of desired mechanical responses, including anisotropic, spatially heterogeneous, hierarchical and self-similar designs. Demonstrative application examples in thin, skin-mounted electrophysiological sensors with mechanics precisely matched to the human epidermis and in soft, hydrogel-based vehicles for triggered drug release suggest their broad potential uses in biomedical devices.

Date: 2015
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7566

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