Dr. Frank A. Nüesch Profile

Dr. Frank A. Nüesch

Head/Functional Polymers Lab at EMPA

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Publications (15)

Proceedings Article | 23 June 2022 Open Access

High dielectric permittivity elastomers: synthesis, processability, and device manufacturing

Yauhen Sheima, Johannes von Szczepanski, Patrick Danner, Francis Owusu, Mihail Iacob, Elena Perju, Frank Nüesch, Dorina Opris

Proceedings Volume PC12042, PC120420Q (2022) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2610572

KEYWORDS: Dielectrics, Actuators, Electrodes, Polymers, Manufacturing, Silicon, Polymerization, Dielectric breakdown, Composites, Thin films

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The development of novel functional dielectric materials can open the doors to major technological innovations with societal impact. Stretchable capacitors transduce electrical into mechanical energy or vice-versa. Over the last 20 years, they have received significant interest from academia and industry. However, this technology still needs both improved dielectrics as well as conductive elastomers to achieve the desired low driving voltage and to realize devices with attractively high sensitivity. The currently most explored dielectric elastomers are polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS). However, because of their low dielectric permittivity of only 3, the devices made of them require high voltages for operation. We synthesized polar polysiloxanes with different types and contents of polar groups, investigated their thermal and dielectric properties, and selected the most suitable groups to achieve the highest dielectric permittivity, yet sufficiently low glass transition temperature (Tg) to afford an excellent elastomer at room temperature after cross-linking. This research guided us to several promising polar polysiloxane elastomers modified with nitrile and nitroaniline groups, for which the properties were optimized. We reproducibly achieved dielectric elastomers with a dielectric permittivity of about 18. Some respond to a voltage as low as 200 V, while some give very large actuation and have a breakdown field reaching 100 V μm^-1. By carefully selecting suitable synthetic chemistry, we could also achieve self-healable high permittivity elastomers. The materials can be processed into thin films by melt pressing. Stack actuators can be easily manufactured manually and give 5.4% actuation at an electric field as low as 3.2 V μm^-1. Furthermore, the actuators can self-repair after a breakdown and be recycled after complete failure. A graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) composite in PDMS as a conductive electrode was developed via in-situ polymerization. The synthesis and the processing by screen-printing were conducted solvent-free, making this composite the greenest electrode for this technology. This presentation gives an overview of recent research on improved materials for dielectric elastomer transducers (DETs) conducted at Empa. We are confident that our materials will impact fields including actuators, sensors, energy harvesting, artificial muscles, and soft robotics.

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Proceedings Article | 23 September 2016 Presentation + Paper

Hysteresis dependence on CH3NH3PbI3 deposition method in perovskite solar cells

Silvia Leticia Fernandes, Bruna Andressa Bregadiolli, Anna Christina Véron, Frank Nüesch, Maria Aparecida Zaghete, Carlos Frederico de Oliveira Graeff

Proceedings Volume 9936, 99360B (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2236855

KEYWORDS: Solar cells, Niobium, Perovskite, Titanium dioxide, Deposition processes, Crystals, Electrons, Nitrogen, Scanning electron microscopy, Renewable energy

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Proceedings Article | 5 May 2016 Paper

Temperature dependent impedance spectroscopy and Thermally Stimulated Depolarization Current (TSDC) analysis of disperse red 1-co-poly(methyl methacrylate) copolymers

Yee Song Ko, Eduardo Cuervo-Reyes, Frank Nüesch, Dorina Opris

Proceedings Volume 9798, 97981I (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2218803

KEYWORDS: Dielectric spectroscopy, Polymethylmethacrylate, Dielectric relaxation, Sensing systems, Robotics, Dielectric polarization, Temperature metrology, Polymers, Glasses, Electro optics, Visible radiation, Dielectrics, Materials science

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Proceedings Article | 20 April 2016 Paper

Silicones with enhanced permittivity for dielectric elastomer actuators

Simon Dünki, Mihaela Dascalu, Frank Nüesch, Dorina Opris

Proceedings Volume 9798, 97982K (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2218881

KEYWORDS: Silicon, Dielectric elastomer actuators, Electroactive polymers, Dielectrics, Electromechanical design, Actuators, Dielectric breakdown, Polymers, Polymerization, Glasses, Thin films, Particles

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Proceedings Article | 1 April 2015 Paper

Dielectric materials, design, and realization

Dorina Opris, Jose Enrico Quinsaat, Simon Dünki, Yee Song Ko, Mihaela Alexandru, Carmen Racles, Frank Nüesch

Proceedings Volume 9430, 94300A (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2086134

KEYWORDS: Silicon, Dielectrics, Particles, Polymers, Silica, Actuators, Silver, Glasses, Composites, Dielectric breakdown

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Proceedings Article | 1 April 2015 Paper

Poleable nanoparticles as fillers towards non-linear optically active actuators

Yee Song Ko, Frank Nüesch, Dorina Opris

Proceedings Volume 9430, 94302U (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2085321

KEYWORDS: Particles, Polymerization, Polymers, Scanning electron microscopy, Nanoparticles, Composites, Actuators, Nonlinear optics, Glasses, Signal detection

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Proceedings Article | 6 October 2014 Paper

Cyanine dyes in solid state organic heterojunction solar cells

Jakob Heier, Chuyao Peng, Anna Véron, Roland Hany, Thomas Geiger, Frank Nüesch, Marcus V. Vismara, Carlos F. Graeff

Proceedings Volume 9184, 918408 (2014) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2063977

KEYWORDS: Solar cells, Heterojunctions, Absorption, Microwave radiation, Polymers, Fullerenes, Molecules, Atomic force microscopy, Solids, Organic photovoltaics

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Proceedings Article | 29 March 2013 Paper

Applications of laser printing for organic electronics

Ph. Delaporte, A. Ainsebaa, A.-P. Alloncle, M. Benetti, C. Boutopoulos, D. Cannata, F. Di Pietrantonio, V. Dinca, M. Dinescu, J. Dutroncy, R. Eason, M. Feinaugle, J.-M. Fernández-Pradas, A. Grisel, K. Kaur, U. Lehmann, T. Lippert, C. Loussert, M. Makrygianni, I. Manfredonia, T. Mattle, J.-L. Morenza, M. Nagel, F. Nüesch, A. Palla-Papavlu, L. Rapp, N. Rizvi, G. Rodio, S. Sanaur, P. Serra, J. Shaw-Stewart, C. Sones, E. Verona, I. Zergioti

Proceedings Volume 8607, 86070Z (2013) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2004062

KEYWORDS: Printing, Sensors, Nonimpact printing, Polymers, Biosensors, Liquids, Organic light emitting diodes, Proteins, Receivers, Thin films

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Proceedings Article | 29 March 2011 Paper

Dielectric elastomer materials for actuators and energy harvesting

Dorina Opris, Martin Molberg, Frank Nüesch, Christiane Löwe, Christian Walder, Beatrice Fischer

Proceedings Volume 7976, 79760G (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.880358

KEYWORDS: Composites, Silicon, Dielectrics, Actuators, Particles, Energy harvesting, Silica, Tin, Electrodes, Silicon films

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Proceedings Article | 6 April 2009 Paper

Phthalocyanine and encapsulated polyaniline nanoparticles as fillers for dielectric elastomers

Dorina Opris, Daniel Crespy, Christiane Löwe, Martin Molberg, Frank Nüesch

Proceedings Volume 7287, 72870L (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.815790

KEYWORDS: Dielectrics, Particles, Nanoparticles, Polymers, Composites, Actuators, Polymerization, Scanning electron microscopy, Matrices, Absorption

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Proceedings Article | 6 April 2009 Paper

High k dielectric elastomeric materials for low voltage applications

C. Walder, M. Molberg, D. Opris, F. Nüesch, C. Löwe, C. J. Plummer, Y. Leterrier, J.-A. Månson

Proceedings Volume 7287, 72870Q (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.815926

KEYWORDS: Dielectrics, Polymers, Actuators, Ferroelectric materials, Glasses, Particles, Dielectric elastomer actuators, Silicon, Electrodes, Composites

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Proceedings Article | 16 April 2008 Paper

Enlarged bilayer interfaces from liquid-liquid dewetting for photovoltaic applications

Jakob Heier, Jan Groenewold, Fernando Castro, Frank Nüesch, Roland Hany

Proceedings Volume 6999, 69991J (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.780221

KEYWORDS: Interfaces, Dewetting, Coating, Solar cells, Thin films, Ions, Atomic force microscopy, Photovoltaics, Heterojunctions, Thin film solar cells

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Proceedings Article | 13 November 2007 Paper

Interface control in organic heterojunction photovoltaic cells by phase separation processes

Jakob Heier, Fernando Castro, Frank Nüesch, Roland Hany

Proceedings Volume 6656, 66560P (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.732432

KEYWORDS: Interfaces, Polymers, Coating, Dewetting, Solar cells, Heterojunctions, Atomic force microscopy, Picosecond phenomena, Molecules, Molecular interactions

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Proceedings Article | 4 October 2005 Paper

Cyanine-fullerene dyad for application in broad spectral response photovoltaic devices

Fanshun Meng, Jianli Hua, Kongchang Chen, He Tian, Libero Zuppiroli, Frank Nüesch

Proceedings Volume 5938, 593814 (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.616010

KEYWORDS: Absorption, Quantum efficiency, Photovoltaics, Heterojunctions, Solar energy, Molecules, Solar cells, Near infrared, Organic photovoltaics, Aluminum

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Proceedings Article | 8 September 2004 Paper

Conditions of recombination zone splitting in organic light-emitting diodes

Detlef Berner, Frank Nuesch, Eduard Tutis, Changqi Ma, Xuesong Wang, Baowen Zhang, Libero Zuppiroli

Proceedings Volume 5464, (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.545665

KEYWORDS: Doping, Molecules, Organic light emitting diodes, Instrument modeling, Quantum efficiency, Interfaces, Electrodes, Computer architecture, Process modeling, Physics

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Showing 5 of 15 publications

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