TY - JOUR A1 - Flachs, Dennis A1 - Emmerich, Florian A1 - Roth, Gian-Luca A1 - Hellmann, Ralf A1 - Thielemann, Christiane T1 - Laser-bonding of FEP/FEP interfaces for a flexiblemanufacturing process of ferroelectrets JF - Journal of Physics: Conference Series N2 - This paper presents an optimized laser-bonding process for piezoelectric energy-harvesters based on thin fluorinated-ethylene-propylene (FEP) foils, using an ultra-short-pulse(USP) laser. Due to the minimized thermal stress in the material during bonding, achieved bypulse durations of few picoseconds, we created seams down to 40μm width without generatingholes in the 12.5μm thick FEP-foils. Using a galvanometer scanning system allowed for fastbonding-speed up to several centimeters per second, making the process also suitable for largestructures and areas. The achieved bond strength of the seams under influence of shearingstress was examined using tensile testing, which showed a sufficient strength of about 25 % of the maximum strength of an unbonded, single layer of FEP. KW - Ultrakurzzeitlaser KW - Piezoelektrizität Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1407/1/012107 VL - 1407 IS - 012107 SP - 1 EP - 5 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Flachs, Dennis A1 - Zhukov, Sergey A1 - Zech, Isabella A1 - Schreck, Timo A1 - Belle, Stefan A1 - Seggern, Heinz von A1 - Kupnik, Mario A1 - Altmann, Alexander Anton A1 - Thielemann, Christiane T1 - Enzymatic Self-Degradable PLA-Based Electrets JF - Journal of Polymers and the Environment N2 - In recent years, the demand for sustainable and degradable materials and electronic devices has increased significantly. Among a range of biodegradable polymers, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a good alternative to conventional petrol-based polymers because of its attractive mechanical properties and its easy processability. Recently, PLA has also been described as a promising dielectric material with piezoelectric and electret properties. We expect that PLA—after further optimization— will play an important role as a material for environmentally friendly sensors in the future, where first applications such as air filters and pressure sensors have already been proposed. However, degradation under normal ambient conditions is very slow, and an accelerated and controllable degradation process is highly desirable for any type of PLA-based sensors. Enzymatic hydrolysis with embedded enzymes has been proposed as an approach to accelerate and control degradation. In this work, we investigate the properties of PLA in terms of dielectric and mechanical properties with a focus on its ability to store charges after the enzyme proteinase K (Trit. album) has been incorporated. Results reveal that proteinase K has a positive effect on the charge stability of solvent-cast PLA electrets after complete evaporation of the solvent. Furthermore, we observed a concentration-dependent acceleration of mass loss in a Tris-HCl buffer. A fast degradation within only one day occurred at a concentration of 6 wt% proteinase K. KW - Biologisch abbaubarer Kunststoff Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/Journal of https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-024-03240-6 VL - 2024 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 11 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Flachs, Dennis A1 - Emmerich, Florian A1 - Thielemann, Christiane T1 - Fabrication process for FEP piezoelectrets based on photolithographically structured thermoforming templates JF - Microsystem Technologies N2 - Piezoelectrets fabricated from fluoroethylenepropylene (FEP)-foils have shown drastic increase of their piezoelectric properties during the last decade. This led to the development of FEP-based energy harvesters, which are about to evolve into a technology with a power-generation-capacity of milliwatt per square-centimeter at their resonance frequency. Recent studies focus on piezoelectrets with solely negative charges, as they have a better charge stability and a better suitability for implementation in rising technologies, like the internet of things (IOT) or portable electronics. With these developments heading towards applications of piezoelectrets in the near future, there is an urgent need to also address the fabrication process in terms of scalability, reproducibility and miniaturization. In this study, we firstly present a comprehensive review of the literature for a deep insight into the research that has been done in the field of FEP-based piezoelectrets. For the first time, we propose the employment of microsystem-technology and present a process for the fabrication of thermoformed FEP piezoelectrets based on thermoforming SU-8 templates. Following this process, unipolar piezoelectrets were fabri� cated with air void dimensions in the range of 300–1000 lm in width and approx. 90 lm in height. For samples with a void size of 1000 lm, a d33-coefficient up to 26,508 pC/N has been achieved, depending on the applied seismic mass. Finally, the properties as energy harvester were characterized. At the best, an electrical power output of 0.51 mW was achieved for an acceleration of 1 � g with a seismic mass of 101 g. Such piezoelectrets with highly defined dimensions show good energy output in relation to volume, with high potential for widespread applications. KW - Mikrosystemtechnik Y1 - 2022 UR - Microsystem Technologies https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-022-05405-6 U6 - https://doi.org/doi.org/10.1007/s00542-022-05405-6 VL - 2022 IS - November SP - 0 EP - 0 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Altmann, Alexander Anton A1 - Suppelt, Sven A1 - Ruhl, Max A1 - Schaumann, Stephan A1 - Latsch, Bastian A1 - Ben Dali, Omar A1 - Zhukov, Sergey A1 - Flachs, Dennis A1 - Zhang, Xiaoqing A1 - Thielemann, Christiane A1 - Seggern, Heinz von A1 - Kupnik, Mario T1 - Monolithic Wideband Air-Coupled Ultrasonic Transducer Based on Additively Manufactured Ferroelectrets T2 - 2024 IEEE Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control Joint Symposium (UFFC-JS) N2 - Air-coupled ultrasonic transducers are widely used in non-destructive testing, acoustical sonar systems, and biomedical imaging. These applications require transducers that operate effectively across a broad acoustic frequency spectrum, offer adaptable geometric designs, and increasingly incorporate eco-friendly materials. In this work, we present a monolithic, 3D-printed air-coupled ultrasonic transducer based on ferroelectrets (FEs) and fabricated from biocompatible polylactic acid (PLA). We evaluated the transducer’s acoustical performance by measuring the surface velocity of its active area using laser Doppler vibrometry and assessed its robustness during continuous operation over a 19-day period. Additionally, we measured the sound pressure level (SPL) and wideband characteristics in an anechoic chamber across excitation frequencies from 1kHz to 100kHz. At a resonance frequency of 33kHz, our transducer achieved an SPL of 94.3dB and surface velocities up to 37mm/s. The measured bandwidth of 65.2kHz at the -6dB threshold corresponds to a fractional bandwidth of 189%. The observed exponential decay of the surface velocity, stabilizing at 15% of its initial amplitude, aligns with the isothermal surface potential decay typically observed in FE films made from PLA. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the transducer, which features an adaptable backplate for tuning acoustic properties. The low-cost transducer, manufactured from biocompatible PLA, is particularly suited for imaging and biomedical applications furthering green electronics. KW - Ultraschallwandler KW - Biomedizinische Technik Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1109/UFFC-JS60046.2024.10793858 SP - 1 EP - 4 PB - IEEE ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Flachs, Dennis A1 - Bernhard, Levin A1 - Thielemann, Christiane T1 - Fully 3D-Printed Rotational Energy Harvester Based On Bipolar Charged PLA Electrets T2 - Micro and Nanotechnology for Power Generation and Energy Conversion Applications (PowerMEMS) N2 - Rotational energy harvesters have emerged as a promising solution for sustainable power generation in a variety of applications, ranging from small-scale devices to large-scale industrial systems. In this work, we present a fully 3D-printed electret rotational harvester based on the biodegradable and compostable polymer polylactic acid (PLA). The 3D-printed harvester consists of a rotor made from a bipolar-charged PLA electret, electrode pairs of conductive PLA that function as the stator, and a PLA bearing. An output power of 61μ W was achieved at a rotational speed of 400 rpm and a load resistance of 28.2MΩ. To assess the durability of the harvester, particularly the 3D-printed bearing, the extent of mechanical wear was examined after one million rotations at a rotational speed of 400 rpm. The findings indicate that the rollers undergo a 1.2% loss in mass, yet the functionality remains intact. The charge decay of PLA electrets is influenced by external factors such as elevated humidity and temperature. Future research will focus on improving the charge stability of PLA by addressing these factors, expanding the potential applications of this rotational energy harvester. KW - rotational energy harvesting KW - PLA KW - electret KW - 3D printing KW - Elektret KW - 3D-Druck KW - Energy Harvesting Y1 - 2024 UR - https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/10814467 SN - 979-8-3503-8020-0 U6 - https://doi.org/979-8-3503-8020-0 VL - 2024 PB - IEEE ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Flachs, Dennis A1 - Etzel, Johannes A1 - Mayer, Margot A1 - Harbecke, Frederic A1 - Belle, Stefan A1 - Rickmeyer, Tim A1 - Thielemann, Christiane T1 - Characterization of electrically conductive, printable ink based on alginate hydrogel and graphene nanoplatelets JF - Biomedical Engineering Advances N2 - In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in electrically conductive hydrogels for a wide range of biomedical applications, like tissue engineering or biosensors. In this study, we present a cost-effective conductive hydrogel based on alginate and graphene nanoplatelets for extrusion-based bioprinters. The hydrogel is prepared under ambient conditions avoiding high temperatures detrimental for cell culture environments. Investigation of the hydrogel revealed a conductivity of up to 7.5 S/cm, depending on the ratio of platelets. Furthermore, in vitro tests with human embyronic kidney cells - as an example cell type - showed good adhesion of the cells to the surface of the conductive hydrogel. Electrochemical measurements revealed a low electrode impedance which is desirable for the extracellular recording, but also low electrode capacitance, which is unfavorable for electrical stimulation purposes. Therefore, future experiments with the graphene nanoplatelets-based hydrogels will focus on electrodes for biosensors and extracellular recordings of neurons or cardiac myocytes. KW - Hydrogel KW - Biosensor KW - Alginate Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bea.2022.100045 VL - 2022 IS - 4 SP - 1 EP - 2 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Flachs, Dennis A1 - Köhler, Tim A1 - Thielemann, Christiane T1 - Transparent poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-based microelectrodes for extracellular recording JF - Biointerphases N2 - It is well known that at the interface between neuronal tissue and recording electrode low electrical impedance is required. However, if simultaneous optical detection or stimulation is an issue, good optical transmittance of the electrode material is desirable as well. State-of-the-art titanium nitride electrodes provide superior low impedance compared to gold or iridium, but are nontransparent. Transparent electrode materials like the transparent conducting oxide, indium tin oxide (ITO), or graphene offer high light transmittance (>80%) but reveal relatively high impedance. In this paper, the authors propose the conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) with the counter ion NO−3 as the electrode material for low impedance and good optical transmittance properties. The polymer is electrochemically deposited onto ITO improving the relatively high impedance of ITO. This multilayer electrode allows not only for electrophysiological recordings of cardiomyocytes but also for monitoring of cell contraction under the microscope. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and action potential recordings reveal that the new transparent electrodes are a good compromise in terms of low impedance and transparency if deposition parameters are optimized. KW - Impedanzspektroskopie KW - Mikroelektrode Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1116/1.5041957 VL - 2018 IS - 13:041008 SP - 1 EP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Altmann, Alexander Anton A1 - Suppelt, Sven A1 - Wüst, Philipp A1 - Dörsam, Jan Helge A1 - Latsch, Bastian A1 - Flachs, Dennis A1 - Blaeser, Andreas A1 - Zhang, Xiaoqing A1 - Thielemann, Christiane A1 - Seggern, Heinz von A1 - Kupnik, Mario T1 - Self-supporting mid-air 3D printing of single-layer polypropylene structures: Flow rate-dependent analytical modeling and surface characterization JF - Additive Manufacturing N2 - High-precision deposition in material extrusion-based additive manufacturing (MEX-AM), especially in mid-air extrusion, is essential for creating microfluidic channels, integrated sensors, and tissue scaffolds with fine vascular features. However, despite advances in support-free slicing and multi-axis printing, no standardized method exists for fabricating enclosed air cavities with high shape fidelity, particularly in single-layer structures. Reliable deposition at sub-millimeter scales remains challenging, especially when printing low-stiffness polymers such as polypropylene (PP), due to delayed solidification and viscoelastic effects. This study introduces a flow-rate-dependent analytical model to predict extrusion behavior, interfacial bonding, and surface morphology in self-supporting single-layer PP structures. To validate the model, surface roughness, material distribution, and intralayer bonding were quantified using spectral analysis, cross-sectional thickness measurements, and Abbott–Firestone curve evaluation. Results show that reducing the flow rate (relative to 100% nominal flow through a 0.4 mm nozzle) to 40% improves surface roughness (Ra) to below 20 m on average across all surfaces, with the lowest Ra of 4.52 ± 0.49 m observed at a 20% flow rate on the top surfaces enclosing the cavity. The intralayer bonding between adjacent extruded lines increases up to 70%, improving deposition uniformity. Nozzle-induced smoothing effects enhance surface quality at flow rates of 60% or lower, while higher flow rates result in increased surface waviness and geometric irregularities. These findings enable the fabrication of enclosed microfluidic channels and functional cavities with well-defined surfaces and reduced mechanical stiffness, suitable for applications involving sensing, controlled deformation, or flexible system integration. KW - Fertigungstechnik KW - 3D-Druck Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2025.105010 SN - 2214-8604 VL - 113 PB - Elsevier BV ER -