Recently, a research team headed by Song Yanlin from the Institute of Chemistry at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in partnership with Beijing Tiantan Hospital (affiliated with Capital Medical University) and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, has achieved a remarkable breakthrough in the area of printed ink droplet behavior control. They have introduced an innovative strategy for transferring ultrathin film materials, known as droplet printing technology. This technique leverages droplets to create a liquid lubrication interface between the electronic film and the target surface, facilitating the attachment of ultrathin flexible devices with precision and without causing damage, through the release of dynamic stress.

Experimental results have shown that this technology enables the flawless transfer of non-ductile electronic films, such as those made of metal and silicon with nanoscale thicknesses, onto diverse surfaces including those of optical fibers, plants, and even living cells. Moreover, in vivo animal studies have successfully demonstrated the conformal attachment of ultrathin silicon-based electronic films onto the neural and brain surfaces of mice. This has validated the technology's potential for infrared light neural modulation with exceptional spatiotemporal resolution.

This milestone offers vital technological backing for interdisciplinary domains such as flexible electronics and brain-computer interfaces. The relevant research findings have been published in the prestigious Science journal.