Optical image of a flexible device made with the nanosheet. Credit: IISER Pune
An ultrathin semiconducting material with robust electrical and optical properties could enable the next generation of flexible electronics, including foldable smartphones, wearable sensors and bendable displays1.
Physicists at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune synthesised nanosheets of bismuth oxyselenide, a material just a few nanometres thick — thousands of times thinner than a human hair. The team, led by Atikur Rahman, produced the nanosheets using atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition, carefully tuning growth conditions such as temperature, gas flow and reaction time.
The resulting material showed efficient charge transport at room temperature, a key requirement for practical electronic devices. The researchers then fabricated microscopic devices on flexible, plastic-like substrates using these nanosheets.
When subjected to repeated bending and folding, the devices retained both their electrical conductivity and light-sensing performance even after thousands of cycles. This mechanical resilience, combined with stable electronic behaviour, suggests that the material could withstand the stresses encountered in everyday use.
Such durability is essential for emerging technologies such as smartwatches, foldable displays and wearable medical monitors, which must operate reliably under constant movement and deformation. The study highlights bismuth oxyselenide nanosheets as a promising platform for flexible and wearable electronics.
