Researchers from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) have developed nanosensors capable of sticking on uneven surfaces and biological surfaces like human skin.
The flexible devices can be used on wearable devices to monitor parameters such as temperature, breath, and heart pressure. To detect chemical substances, refractive index variations of the surrounding medium can also be measured.
Nanosensors consist of dimensional nanohole arrays (250 nm) which are drilled into an aluminum layer (100 nm thick). In order to create sensitivity to the surrounding mediums and iridescence effects, the nanostructures confine and disperse light according to the will of the engineer who designs them.
The components are first manufactured over a compact disc (CDs) of traditional polycarbonate. Then, the sensors are transferred to adhesive Scotch tapes by a stick-and-peel procedure.
To enable mass production, the new technology uses low-cost materials such as polycarbonate CDs, aluminum, and regular adhesive tapes.
