Dear Colleagues,

Additive manufacturing and flexible electronics have both seen rapid and significant progress in recent decades. Alongside growing industrial interest, these two fields have also seen increasing opportunity and innovation at their intersection, particularly in the case of materials. 

This Special Issue is focused on the latest developments and research results in novel materials for 3D printing, flexible electronics, and in the space connecting them both. The purpose of this issue is to provide a forum for recent advances in materials that enable the future of the rapidly emerging and merging areas of additive manufacturing and flexible electronics.

Many advanced materials are already used in additive manufacturing, and a broad range of new materials are in development. Today’s product developers have a huge array of advanced materials that can be tailored for advanced applications at their fingertips.

Beyond structural applications, materials have also been the cornerstone of the modern information age, beginning with the development of the integrated circuit in the early 1960s. The push to make circuits that are faster, denser, and cheaper has driven innovations in new materials and processes for decades. While silicon remains the mainstay of integrated circuit technology, many other materials play a central role in expanding the horizons of conventional electronics.

At the intersection between 3D printing and electronics, advanced materials are helping to bridge the gap between the creation of structure and function. Advanced materials in 3D printing include a range of advanced polymers, nanoparticles, ceramics, graphene, etc. These materials are enabling traditional and advanced electronics applications while taking advantage of the design and fabrication flexibility of additive manufacturing systems. Additive processes allow new mechanical, optical, and electronic products to be fabricated with nearly any geometry, reducing traditional manufacturing constraints.

Without doubt, ongoing developments in advanced materials will fuel future innovations in flexible electronics, additive manufacturing, 3D electronics, and beyond.

Dr. Michelle Chretien
Guest Editor

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• printed electronics
• flexible electronics
• flexible hybrid electronics (FHE)
• additive manufacturing
• 3D printing
• 3D electronics
• electronic materials
• thin film electronics
• flexible battery
• printable batteries
• sensor materials
• photovoltaic materials
• composites
• ceramics
• dielectric materials