About

Construction of tissue-like soft bioelectronic materials and devices through rational molecular design and engineering

Research topics

• Materials science
• Nanotechnology
• Computer Science
• Electrical engineering
• Chemistry
• Composite material
• Optoelectronics
• Engineering
• Cell biology
• Artificial Intelligence
• Biology
• Neuroscience
• Electronic engineering
• Optics
• Biochemistry
• Biological system
• Computational biology
• Control engineering
• Physics

Selected publications

• Neuromorphic sensorimotor loop embodied by monolithically integrated, low-voltage, soft e-skin

  Science · 2023 · 699 citations

  • Computer Science
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Materials science

  Artificial skin that simultaneously mimics sensory feedback and mechanical properties of natural skin holds substantial promise for next-generation robotic and medical devices. However, achieving such a biomimetic system that can seamlessly integrate with the human body remains a challenge. Through rational design and engineering of material properties, device structures, and system architectures, we realized a monolithic soft prosthetic electronic skin (e-skin). It is capable of multimodal perception, neuromorphic pulse-train signal generation, and closed-loop actuation. With a trilayer, high-permittivity elastomeric dielectric, we achieved a low subthreshold swing comparable to that of polycrystalline silicon transistors, a low operation voltage, low power consumption, and medium-scale circuit integration complexity for stretchable organic devices. Our e-skin mimics the biological sensorimotor loop, whereby a solid-state synaptic transistor elicits stronger actuation when a stimulus of increasing pressure is applied.

  PublisherDOI

• Topological supramolecular network enabled high-conductivity, stretchable organic bioelectronics

  Science · 2022 · 574 citations

  1st authorCorresponding
  • Computer Science
  • Nanotechnology
  • Materials science

  Intrinsically stretchable bioelectronic devices based on soft and conducting organic materials have been regarded as the ideal interface for seamless and biocompatible integration with the human body. A remaining challenge is to combine high mechanical robustness with good electrical conduction, especially when patterned at small feature sizes. We develop a molecular engineering strategy based on a topological supramolecular network, which allows for the decoupling of competing effects from multiple molecular building blocks to meet complex requirements. We obtained simultaneously high conductivity and crack-onset strain in a physiological environment, with direct photopatternability down to the cellular scale. We further collected stable electromyography signals on soft and malleable octopus and performed localized neuromodulation down to single-nucleus precision for controlling organ-specific activities through the delicate brainstem.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• High-brightness all-polymer stretchable LED with charge-trapping dilution

  Nature · 2022 · 450 citations

  • Materials science
  • Optoelectronics
  • Optics
  PublisherDOI

• Strain-insensitive intrinsically stretchable transistors and circuits

  Nature Electronics · 2021 · 338 citations

  • Materials science
  • Optoelectronics
  • Nanotechnology
  DOI

• Advancing models of neural development with biomaterials

  Nature reviews. Neuroscience · 2021 · 114 citations

  • Computer Science
  • Neuroscience
  • Computer Science
  DOI

• Dynamic and Programmable Cellular-Scale Granules Enable Tissue-like Materials

  Matter · 2020 · 44 citations

  • Materials science
  • Nanotechnology
  • Biological system
  DOI

• Genetically targeted chemical assembly of functional materials in living cells, tissues, and animals

  Science · 2020 · 199 citations

  • Nanotechnology
  • Biology
  • Neuroscience

  The structural and functional complexity of multicellular biological systems, such as the brain, are beyond the reach of human design or assembly capabilities. Cells in living organisms may be recruited to construct synthetic materials or structures if treated as anatomically defined compartments for specific chemistry, harnessing biology for the assembly of complex functional structures. By integrating engineered-enzyme targeting and polymer chemistry, we genetically instructed specific living neurons to guide chemical synthesis of electrically functional (conductive or insulating) polymers at the plasma membrane. Electrophysiological and behavioral analyses confirmed that rationally designed, genetically targeted assembly of functional polymers not only preserved neuronal viability but also achieved remodeling of membrane properties and modulated cell type-specific behaviors in freely moving animals. This approach may enable the creation of diverse, complex, and functional structures and materials within living systems.

  DOI

Frequent coauthors

• Bozhi Tian

  University of Chicago

  36 shared

• Zhenan Bao

  32 shared

• Deling Li

  Sun Yat-sen University

  18 shared

• Rongmei Liu

  Northeast Agricultural University

  18 shared

• Jeffrey B.‐H. Tok

  Stanford University

  17 shared

• Xiang Gao

  Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology

  15 shared

• Yiliang Lin

  National University of Singapore

  15 shared

• Donglai Zhong

  Stanford University

  14 shared

Labs

• Yuanwen JiangPI

Education

• Ph.D., Electrical and Computer Engineering

  University of Pennsylvania

  2010

• M.S., Electrical and Computer Engineering

  University of Pennsylvania

  2007

• B.S., Electrical Engineering

  University of Science and Technology of China

  2003

Similar researchers at University of Pennsylvania

• John Q. Trojanowskih-296
• Craig B. Thompsonh-277
• Daniel J Raderh-236
• Carl H. Juneh-218
• M. Celeste Simonh-185