Andrew Adamacki was previously the co-author of a 2021 paper showing that kombucha mats exhibit dynamic electrical activity and excitatory responses. Inspired by this potential of wearable electronics, he and his colleagues demonstrated the feasibility of printing electronic circuits on dried kombucha mats.
The group used kombucha cultures to grow rugs and then dried at room temperature. The scientists were able to print conductive polymer circuits on dried teapot mats using an aerosol inkjet printer, and also successfully tested an alternative method of 3D printing a circuit from a conductive polyester-copper mixture. They were even able to connect small LEDs to circuits using silver-laced epoxy that continued to work after repeated bending and stretching.
“Future research will focus on printing advanced functional circuits that can detect and possibly recognize mechanical, optical and chemical stimuli,” the authors write.
Source: Ferra
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