As the field of wearable electronics, neurorehabilitation, and brain-machine interfaces continues to evolve rapidly, the demand for innovative methods to seamlessly integrate thin-film electronic devices onto biological tissues has become increasingly urgent. This integration is crucial for the precise monitoring and control of physiological signals.
New Film Transfer Strategy for Constructing Conformal Bioelectronic Interfaces
Conventional methods of integrating electronic devices onto biological tissues often result in internal stress and potential damage to fragile circuits and chips. To address this challenge, Prof. Song Yanlin’s team and collaborators have introduced a novel film transfer technique known as drop-printing. This method has promising applications in bioelectronics, flexible displays, and micro-/nano-manufacturing.
Drop-printing involves using droplets to pick up and transfer ultrathin films onto target surfaces. By creating a temporary lubricating layer between the film and the substrate, this technique allows for the dynamic release of stress during deformation, preventing damage to the device. Through precise control of the three-phase contact line dynamics, drop-printing achieves high positional accuracy.
Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of drop-printing in wrapping nanometer-thick electronic films on various surfaces, including optical fibers, plant tissues, and microorganisms. Moreover, this technique enables the transfer of stem cell films by modifying the droplet composition. In animal studies, silicon-based films as thin as 2 µm have been successfully printed on nerves and brains, leading to the creation of conformal bioelectronic interfaces. These interfaces allowed for precise control of neural activity using infrared light.
The research conducted by Prof. Song Yanlin’s team sheds light on a damage-free method for attaching ultrathin films to complex surfaces, facilitating the seamless integration of bioelectronic interfaces.
Further Information
More information: An Li et al, Drop-printing with dynamic stress release for conformal wrap of bioelectronic interfaces, Science (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.adw6854
Citation: ‘Drop-printing’ shows potential for constructing bioelectronic interfaces that conform to complex surfaces (2025, September 19) retrieved 20 September 2025 from https://techxplore.com/news/2025-09-potential-bioelectronic-interfaces-conform-complex.html
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