Spring semester 2025
All of the following projects can be adapted for a Bachelor or a Master level. If you are interested and would like to learn more about these projects please contact Prof. Sorin ([email protected]).
Thermal drawing is a powerful technique to realize fibers incorporating a variety of materials into intricate structures. A few years ago, our group demonstrated the thermal drawing of thermoplastic elastomers, paving the way to new types of applications, in particular in soft robotics and wearable devices[1,2]. Based on these elastomers, several soft composites have also been developed and integrated into thermally drawn fibers to create soft actuators[3] or soft mechanical sensors[4]. However, one class of materials remains unexplored: soft semiconductors.
In this project, we propose to study the feasibility and potential of soft semiconductors in thermally drawn fibers.
Experimental tools:
- Material and preform preparation (solution mixing, spin coating, hot pressing…)
- UV-Vis Spectroscopy
- Mechanical properties characterization (rheology, tensile test…)
References:
[1] Y. Qu, T. Nguyen-Dang, A. G. Page, W. Yan, T. Das Gupta, G. M. Rotaru, R. M. Rossi, V. D. Favrod, N. Bartolomei, F. Sorin, Advanced Materials 2018, 30, 1707251.
[2] A. Leber, C. Dong, S. Laperrousaz, H. Banerjee, M. E. M. K. Abdelaziz, N. Bartolomei, B. Schyrr, B. Temelkuran, F. Sorin, Advanced Science 2023, 10, DOI 10.1002/advs.202204016.
[3] H. Banerjee, A. Leber, S. Laperrousaz, R. La Polla, C. Dong, S. Mansour, X. Wan, F. Sorin, Advanced Materials 2023, 35, DOI 10.1002/adma.202212202.
[4] A. Leber, S. Laperrousaz, Y. Qu, C. Dong, I. Richard, F. Sorin, Advanced Science 2023, DOI 10.1002/advs.202207573.
Metallic nano-objects and their arrays exhibit peculiar functionalities that can be exploited in several scientific fields. Such constructs can indeed be used as catalysts for arrays of semiconducting nanowires, in light trapping and extraction systems, as efficient transparent electrodes for optoelectronic devices, and in sensing and biological applications. Their fabrication remain however difficult and costly, especially over large area substrates. In this project we propose to investigate a novel fabrication approach of these nano-structures that is simple and scalable. The objective is to demonstrate a 2D and a 3D ordered array of nano-objects using simple nano-imprint and thin-film processing approaches.