Abstract:
The human body and other biological systems carry important and complex information that is vital for health monitoring, disease treatment, and human-machine interactions. Electronics stand as unparalleled tools for precisely recording, analyzing, and modulating biological behaviors across all spatial and temporal scales. To achieve intimate and multi-modal interfacing of electronic devices with biological tissues and organs, electronics must mimic various aspects of biophysical and biochemical properties in biological systems. Moreover, biological systems also provide unique operational mechanisms with high energy efficiency. In this talk, I will introduce our recent research in designing polymer-based electronic materials and devices that combine biomimetic properties with advanced electronic and photonic functions. First, I will discuss our research in the development of organic semiconductor- and transistor-based biosensors, with the impartment of several biomimetic properties: (1) skin-like stretchability for mechanical robustness, (2) bioadhesive properties for intimate and stable interface with tissues, and (3) immune-compatible properties for suppressing foreign-body responses. Second, I will introduce our effort in the development of stretchable neuromorphic devices and circuits for implementing AI-based analysis for health data, which paves the way for integrating AI-based computing with wearable and implantable systems. Third, I will discuss our development of stretchable light-emitting polymers and OLEDs for use in skin-like displays and optical bio-stimulations.
Biography:
Sihong Wang is an Assistant Professor in the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago, USA. He received his Ph.D. degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2014, and his Bachelor’s degree from Tsinghua University in 2009. From 2015 to 2018, he was a postdoctoral fellow in Chemical Engineering at Stanford University. He has published over 70 papers in numerous high-impact journals, including Science, Nature, Nature Materials, Nature Electronics, Matter, Nature Communications, Science Advances, Advanced Materials, Energy & Environmental Science, etc. His research group currently focuses on soft polymeric bioelectronic materials and devices as the new generation of technology for biomedical studies and therapeutics. As of April 2024, his research has been cited more than 26,000 times and he has an H-index of 62. He was recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate Analytics from 2020 to 2023, and was awarded the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, NSF CAREER Award, Office of Naval Research (ONR) Young Investigator Award, MIT Technology Review 35 Innovators Under 35 (TR35 Global List), Advanced Materials Rising Star Award, ACS PMSE Early-Stage Investigator Award, iCANX Young Scientist Award, MRS Graduate Student Award, Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Students Abroad, Top 10 Breakthroughs of 2012 by Physics World, etc.