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 - 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 -