KU has developed a technology for forming pseudo-conductive channels along dielectric heterojunction interfaces.

The technology enables the transmission of electric signals simply through mechanical stimuli, thereby opening a new path to the development of next-generation electrical devices. 

△ Illustration of a pseudo-conductive channel capable of transmitting electrical signals through mechanical stimuli without a conductive material.

Professor Choi Won-joon’s group from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at KU (President Kim Dong-one) and Dr. Seo Byung-seok from Northwestern University in the US (President: Michael H. Schill) developed a technology that can form pseudo-conductive channels by applying only mechanical stimuli to a simple device where two dielectrics are in contact. 

The results of this study were published on February 25 as a front cover article (volume 37, issue 8) in Advanced Materials (IF=27.4, top 2.2%), a globally renowned journal in the field.

*Article title: Mechanical-Stimuli-Driven Pseudo-Conductive Channels Along Dielectric Heterojunction Interfaces for Mechanoelectric Energy Conversion and Transmission

*Article URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202416952

Polymer materials are used in various devices because they are easily molded and processed into various shapes, but they are unable to transmit electrical signals since they are dielectric materials. Therefore, when electrical signal transmission is required, there is a material limitation that metal or carbon-based conductive materials should be used instead. 

To overcome this limitation, the research team proposed a new methodology to form pseudo-conductive channels along dielectric heterojunction interfaces through mechanical stimulation. This technology enables the transmission of electric signals by providing high interfacial conductivity that is not found among existing dielectrics, thereby suggesting the possibility of producing new types of electronic devices using dielectrics materials such as polymers and ceramics. 

The research team developed an information transmission device capable of transmitting letters and numbers through interfacial conduction with only simple contact stimulation by using mechanical stimuli-driven pseudo-conductive channels. 

The technology developed in the present study for transmitting electrical signals through pseudo-conductive channels formed at the heterojunction interfaces of composite materials can minimize the use of metallic materials used in the past for transmitting electrical signals, and thus it can serve as a cornerstone for the development of new types of wearable devices, flexible medical biosensors, IoT sensors, flexible displays and the like that are more usable and flexible.

In addition, ever-evolving smart mobility platforms in which a variety of electric signals are involved inevitably require technologies that can minimize interference and control electromagnetic waves. In general, it was inevitable that heavy but highly conductive metals would be used for this purpose, but when using the pseudo-conductive channels developed in the present study, lightweight and low-cost flexible composite materials can be employed. Since the newly developed technology enables the control of electric signal interference and electromagnetic waves using lightweight and low-cost materials, its future uses include commercial and military drones, electric vehicles (EVs), and multi-purpose vehicles.

This research was supported by the Agency for Defense Development of Korea (ADD) and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF). 

[Figure 1]  

[Figure 1] : (From left) Professor Choi Won-joon (corresponding author), Dr. Seo Byung-seok (first author), and Noh Do-won (researcher, first author). 

[Figure 2]

[Figure 2]:  ] Illustration of the three mechanisms involved in forming pseudo-conductive channels.

[Figure 3]  

△ [Figure 3] : Illustration of the operation of a device for transmitting number and letter signal information using the pseudo-conductive channels.