Advances in Physicochemically Stimuli-Responsive Materials for On-Demand Transient Electronic Systems

Transient electronic systems represent a unique class of technology defined by an ability to fully or partly dissolve, resorb, or otherwise physically disappear with controlled rates or at triggered times. Recent research establishes the foundations for a wide range of vanishing materials and devices of this type, with potential applications in fields that span temporary medical implants, environmentally degradable sensors, physically secure data storage systems, zero-waste consumer and industrial electronics, non-traceable proprietary platforms, and so on. Many of these examples include stimuli-responsive operation where well-defined triggering events initiate the transient response, as opposed to those that rely on passive, gradual processes that begin immediately at the time of deployment. These stimuli include controlled exposures to solvents, heat, light, electro-mechanical impulses, and others. The materials that support these behaviors represent areas of interest for further research in this dynamic and evolving field. This review summarizes recent progress in materials for stimuli-responsive transient electronics and the mechanisms that underpin their behaviors in the context of triggered changes in properties and performance.