Polymeric Sensors

Dear Colleagues,

Our society is changing quickly because of the many endogenous and exogenous inputs. As a consequence, novel systems are required to increase our capability to monitor and act on the surrounding environment. It is possible to envisage that, in the coming years, smart systems will be developed to cope with this new need.

Regarding the new challenges imposed by the internal changes in society, it is enough to consider that Western society is undergoing a deep aging phenomenon. Old and/or elderly people will need artificial systems to check their levels of comfort or the sudden rise in the need of assistance so that better conditions for the lives of older adults can be assured. This will be possible if ICT-based products, services, and systems are developed. Such systems will increase the quality of life of elderly people and will reduce the costs of health and social care.

Another relevant field of application of smart systems will be health monitoring of human heritage and large structures. Our society recognizes the fundamental role played by human heritage as part of our identities. Nevertheless, human heritage largely consists of very fragile buildings and/or natural environments that need continuous monitoring to control the adverse effects produced by human presence and/or climate changes. The same need is shared by the surveillance of strategic structures that are the basis of modern society. Mobility structures (such as airports, railroads, motorways) and facility infrastructure (such as freshwater reservoirs, oil pipes, communication systems) need to be constantly monitored against accidents. Last but not least, many such systems could be the objects of terrorist attacks, with dramatic, and even irreversible, consequences for our safety and quality of life.

Smart systems require embedding sensing and actuating capabilities, signal processing, and electric power generation and management. Flexibility, stretchability, and resiliency are required since smart systems will work in unstructured and harsh environments. Moreover, there is also a need for ubiquitous smart systems, required for developing sustainable, environmentally-friendly systems. Biocompatible systems are required for implanted applications.

"More than Moore" solutions will complement silicon-based devices: New materials are needed for guaranteeing a significant diversification. Suitable production schemes are needed for allowing prosumers to develop their own systems. Polymeric sensing systems will play a relevant role in the development of smart systems. Though polymers have been already proposed for accumulating and harvesting energy, realizing electronic devices and obtaining energy transduction, proposed systems are, generally ungreen or based on discrete elements. There is the need for fully integrated sensing systems. New technologies are required for fabricating autonomous integrated smart sensing systems. The development of new materials is necessary for obtaining greener devices that can be easily recycled or disposed of. The realization of next generation composites requires, then, the development of new materials, models, and production procedures, functional subsystems, design tools, and fabrication systems.

Dr. Salvatore Graziani
Prof. Dr. Maria Gabriella Xibilia
Guest Editors

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