Wenliang Zhang defends his PhD Thesis at ICMM: "We could facilitate the construction of low-cost and disposable paper-based electronic devices"

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Wenliang Zhang, a Ph.D. student at Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM), CSIC, is defending his thesis this Wednesday, 7th September, at Assembly Hall at our centre. He has been working with Andrés Castellanos at 2D Foundry Group. He also has co-supervisor, Yong Xie, from Xidian University in China; and his tutor at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) is Nicolás Agraït de la Puente, from the Department of Condensed Matter Physics.

The title of the thesis, 'Integrating van der Waals materials-based devices on paper for electronics and optoelectronics' speak about his work during these years. And he explains it: "There is an urgent need to develop the paper-based devices with more efficient preparation approaches specifically suited to the cellulose paper". Therefore, he has discussed an all-dry abrasion-induced deposition strategy that "could facilitate the construction of low-cost and disposable paper-based electronic and optoelectronic devices".

"This all-dry abrasion-induced deposition is simple for the fabrication of paper-based devices", adds Zhang. In his words, "you can 'draw' functional devices on paper whenever and wherever you want, by simply rubbing layered van der Waals crystal powders against the rough surface of the paper".
 
But there is more. Zhang adds that this active material on its surface can be recycled, which is an important difference from the commonly used polymeric plastic substrates of printed circuit boards. He explains that with data: the decomposition of a plastic film container requires more than 30 years, while it takes only 2−4 weeks to decompose a paper towel.

"Imagine that you can stick a paper device on an object to monitor its displacement and vibration", explains. He says this device could be placed on a coffee cup "to sense the change in temperature of the water", for example. But he wanted more: "Probably this paper device would sense changes in your emotions when attached to your forehead, as you frown when you think or are angry and open your eyes when you are happy", explains. 

Now, after defending his thesis, he is returning to China. He wants to continue working on paper-based electronic devices, "which is a worthwhile and promising research field", tells. "In my view, scientific research is to constantly explore new things in the old things, and it is only after the tedious repetition of experiments that one will experience the thrill of success", mentions.

He also talks about his role models, and names Longping Yuan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a foreign member of the American Academy of Sciences; and his current doctoral supervisor, Andrés Castellanos: "I learned from him the professional qualities that a talented researcher should have, including keen insight, in-depth analysis of complex problems, especially enthusiasm for scientific research".

-- Ángela R. Bonachera, ICMM Comunication / Photo: Carlos Arroyo (Morgan) --