Biocompatible, biodegradable, and solid‐state electrolyte‐based organic transistors are demonstrated. As the electrolyte is composed of all edible materials, which are levan polysaccharide and choline‐based ionic liquid, the organic transistor fabricated on the electrolyte can be biocompatible and biodegrable. Compared to the other ion gel based electrolytes, it has superior electrical and mechanical properties, large specific capacitance (≈40 µF cm−2), non‐volatility, flexibility, and high transparency. Thus, it shows mechanical reliability by maintaining electrical performances under up to 1.11% of effective bending strain, 5% of stretching, and have low operation voltage range when it is utilized in organic transistors. Moreover, the biodegradable electrolyte‐based organic transistors can be applied to bio‐integrated devices, such as electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings on human skin and the heart of a rat. The measured ECG signals from the transistors, compared to signals from electrode‐based sensors, has a superior signal‐to‐noise ratio. The biocompatible and biodegradable materials and devices can contribute to the development of many bioelectronics.

Bioelectronics needs to continuously monitor mechanical and electrophysiological signals for patients. However, the signals always include artifacts by patients’ unexpected movement (such as walking and respiration under approximately 30 hertz). The current method to remove them is a signal process that uses a bandpass filter, which may cause signal loss. We present an unconventional bandpass filter material—viscoelastic gelatin-chitosan hydrogel damper, inspired by the viscoelastic cuticular pad in a spider—to remove dynamic mechanical noise artifacts selectively. The hydrogel exhibits frequency-dependent phase transition that results in a rubbery state that damps low-frequency noise and a glassy state that transmits the desired high-frequency signals. It serves as an adaptable passfilter that enables the acquisition of high-quality signals from patients while minimizing signal process for advanced bioelectronics.

Squaraine dyes (SQs) are an important class of polymethine dyes with a unique reasonable‐stabilized zwitterionic structure, in which electrons are highly delocalized over the conjugated bridge. These dyes can not only be easily synthesized via a condensation, but also exhibit intense absorption and emission in the visible and near‐infrared region with excellent photochemical stability, making them attractive material candidates for many photoelectric and biomedical applications. Thus, in this review, after an introduction of SQs, the recent advances of SQs in the photovoltaic field are comprehensively summarized including dye‐sensitized solar cells, organic solar cells, and perovskite solar cells. Then, the important advances in the use of SQs as the biosensors, biological imaging, and photodynamic/photothermal therapy reagents in the biomedical field are also discussed. Finally, a summary and outlook will be provided with some new perspectives for the future design of SQs.

Human nonverbal communication tools are very ambiguous and difficult to transfer to machines or artificial intelligence (AI). If the AI understands the mental state behind a user’s decision, it can learn more appropriate decisions even in unclear situations. We introduce the Brain–AI Closed-Loop System (BACLoS), a wireless interaction platform that enables human brain wave analysis and transfers results to AI to verify and enhance AI decision-making. We developed a wireless earbud-like electroencephalography (EEG) measurement device, combined with tattoo-like electrodes and connectors, which enables continuous recording of high-quality EEG signals, especially the error-related potential (ErrP). The sensor measures the ErrP signals, which reflects the human cognitive consequences of an unpredicted machine response. The AI corrects or reinforces decisions depending on the presence or absence of the ErrP signals, which is determined by deep learning classification of the received EEG data. We demonstrate the BACLoS for AI-based machines, including autonomous driving vehicles, maze solvers, and assistant interfaces.

The rapid pace of progress in implantable electronics driven by novel technology has created devices with unconventional designs and features to reduce invasiveness and establish new sensing and stimulating techniques. Among the designs, injectable forms of biomedical electronics are explored for accurate and safe targeting of deep‐seated body organs. Here, the classes of biomedical electronics and tools that have high aspect ratio structures designed to be injected or inserted into internal organs for minimally invasive monitoring and therapy are reviewed. Compared with devices in bulky or planar formats, the long shaft‐like forms of implantable devices are easily placed in the organs with minimized outward protrusions via injection or insertion processes. Adding flexibility to the devices also enables effortless insertions through complex biological cavities, such as the cochlea, and enhances chronic reliability by complying with natural body movements, such as the heartbeat. Diverse types of such injectable implants developed for different organs are reviewed and the electronic, optoelectronic, piezoelectric, and microfluidic devices that enable stimulations and measurements of site‐specific regions in the body are discussed. Noninvasive penetration strategies to deliver the miniscule devices are also considered. Finally, the challenges and future directions associated with deep body biomedical electronics are explained.

As eidetic signal recognition has become important, displaying mechanical signals visually has imposed huge demands for simple readability and without complex signal processing. Such visualization of mechanical signals is used in delicate urgent medical or safety-related industries. Accordingly, chromic materials are considered to facilitate visualization with multiple colors and simple process. However, the response and recovery time is very long, such that rapid regular signals are unable to be detected, i.e., physiological signals, such as respiration. Here, the simple visualization of low strain ≈2%, with ultrasensitive crack-based strain sensors with a hierarchical thermochromic layer is suggested. The sensor shows a gradient color change from red to white color in each strain, which is attributed to the hierarchical property, and the thermal response (recovery) time is dramatically minimized within 0.6 s from 45 to 37 °C, as the hierarchical membrane is inspired by termite mounds for efficient thermal management. The fast recovery property can be taken advantage of in medical fields, such as monitoring regular respiration, and the color changes can be delicately monitored with high accuracy by software on a mobile phone.

Solar‐thermal materials have been intensively studied in the context of production and localization of thermal energy, targeting an industry level application. Although photonic and optical strategies for enhancing light absorption have increased the efficiency of photo excitation/conversion into thermal energy, most of them have several limitations such as large area fabrication, thermal stability and broadband/omnidirectional light absorption. In this study, a gold‐coated hierarchical nanoturf membrane (Au/h‐Nanoturf membrane) incorporated with randomly distributed high aspect ratio (AR) nanostructures and micro‐through holes is proposed. The Au/h‐Nanoturf has peculiar black structures that provide advantages in forming a membrane with a large area and in absorbing broadband solar light spectrum. Furthermore, the membrane is combined with micro‐cone array which makes it exhibit exceptionally omnidirectional light absorption properties. Using computational analysis, it is confirmed that the micro‐cone array substantially contributes to the omnidirectional solar absorption irrespective of the wavelength. The optimized structural parameters for the maximum efficiency of the solar‐thermal materials are also found. The prepared solar‐vapor generator with the optimized structural features exhibits 91% average conversion efficiency under one sun condition. The efficiency is sustainable for up to four weeks. The highly efficient and omnidirectional broadband‐absorbing solar‐thermal membrane can be readily employed, targeting an industry level application.

(3 of 23)www.advmattechnol.de Figure 2. Diagram of essential functions of a soft bionic sensory system, a body-integrated electronics system based on organic and ionic materials. Organic transistors on flexible and stretchable substrate: Organic transistors on flexible and stretchable substrate are operated with stability and reliability under mechanical deformation. Reproduced with permission. [146]