A Roadmap from Functional Materials to Plant Health Monitoring (PHM)

• Published in: Macromolecular bioscience 2024-03, Vol.24 (3), p.e2300283-n/a
• Main Authors: Babangida, Abubakar A., Uddin, Azim, Stephen, Kukwi Tissan, Yusuf, Bashir Adegbemiga, Zhang, Liqiang, Ge, Daohan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biocompatibility; Bioelectricity; bioelectronics; Biosensing Techniques - methods; Crop yield; Electronic equipment; Electronics - methods; Fabrication; flexibility; Functional materials; Interfaces; Materials science; Molecular Conformation; Nanofabrication; Plant diseases; Plant growth; plant health monitoring (PHM); Plant monitoring; Polymers; Reproducibility of Results; Substrates; Wearable Electronic Devices
• ISSN: 1616-5187; 1616-5195
• DOI: 10.1002/mabi.202300283

Soft bioelectronics have great potential for the early diagnosis of plant diseases and the mitigation of adverse outcomes such as reduced crop yields and stunted growth. Over the past decade, bioelectronic interfaces have evolved into miniaturized conformal electronic devices that integrate flexible monitoring systems with advanced electronic functionality. This development is largely attributable to advances in materials science, and micro/nanofabrication technology. The approach uses the mechanical and electronic properties of functional materials (polymer substrates and sensing elements) to create interfaces for plant monitoring. In addition to ensuring biocompatibility, several other factors need to be considered when developing these interfaces. These include the choice of materials, fabrication techniques, precision, electrical performance, and mechanical stability. In this review, some of the benefits plants can derive from several of the materials used to develop soft bioelectronic interfaces are discussed. The article describes how they can be used to create biocompatible monitoring devices that can enhance plant growth and health. Evaluation of these devices also takes into account features that ensure their long‐term durability, sensitivity, and reliability. This article concludes with a discussion of the development of reliable soft bioelectronic systems for plants, which has the potential to advance the field of bioelectronics. Soft bioelectronics, employing flexible materials and advanced sensors, offer early disease detection and improved crop yield in agriculture. This review emphasizes material selection, fabrication precision, electrical performance, and mechanical stability as pivotal factors. It explores how these technologies enhance plant growth and health while focusing on long‐term durability, sensitivity, and reliability, highlighting the promising advancements in plant‐focused bioelectronics.