IAS Distinguished Lecture

Conformal Bioelectronics for Human Machine Interface

Abstract

The emerging human machine interface is creating new opportunities for developing advanced sensing technologies with unparalleled sensitivity and specificity. This talk will explore key questions in the materials chemistry underlying bio-integrated electronics, focusing on achieving a deeper and clearer understanding of their fundamental principles. Emphasis will be placed on conformal bioelectronic interfaces, which allow seamless integration of electronics into biological systems, enabling sense digitalization while maintaining functionality under deformation. Additionally, the speaker will discuss the recent development of a biphasic, nano-dispersed (BIND) interface that reliably connects soft, rigid, and encapsulation modules without requiring adhesive pastes. This innovative interface has been applied to create stretchable devices for in vivo neuromodulation and on-skin electromyography, significantly enhancing signal quality and electrode performance. The modular integration facilitated by the BIND interface simplifies and accelerates the development of both on-skin and implantable stretchable devices. Finally, the talk will address ongoing challenges that must be overcome to fully harness the transformative potential of conformal bioelectronics in human–machine interfaces.


About the Speaker

Prof. CHEN Xiaodong is a Distinguished University Professor at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, where he holds a professorship in Materials Science and Engineering and courtesy appointments in both Chemistry and Medicine. His research interests span mechanomaterials science and engineering, data-driven materials chemistry discovery, flexible electronics technology, sense digitalization, and carbon-negative technology. Prof. Chen's outstanding scientific contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Singapore President's Science Award, Singapore National Research Foundation (NRF) Investigatorship and NRF Fellowship, the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award, Dan Maydan Prize in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Winner of Falling Walls, and Kabiller Young Investigator Award. He is an elected member of the Singapore National Academy of Science, the Academy of Engineering Singapore, the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, and the Royal Society (UK), and an elected fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Chinese Chemical Society, and American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).

Prof. Chen also serves on the editorial advisory boards of numerous esteemed international journals, including Advanced Materials, Matter, Chemical Reviews, CCS Chemistry, Small, and Nanoscale Horizons. Currently, he is the Editor-in-Chief of ACS Nano, a flagship journal in nanoscience and nanotechnology.


For Attendees' Attention

Seating is on a first come, first served basis.

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