RISE Associate Director Prof. Wai-yeung WONG Raymond published his research in Nature Nanotechnology

We are excited to share with you that Professor Wai-yeung WONG Raymond, our RISE Associate Director, collaborating with international institutions, e.g. Yonsei University and Donghua University, published a research paper “Bioresorbable and optically readable triboelectric implants enabled by nanoscale iridophosphors” in Nature Nanotechnology.

Professor Wong and his team aim at developing sustainable energy sources and improving the technologies for energy conversions in order to meet the world’s future energy demand. He focusses on the design and synthesis of molecular functional materials and metallopolymers (1D and 2D) with photofunctional properties and energy functions. He and his team published papers in different high-quality journals, like Advanced Materials and Angewandte Chemie.

The abstract below is quoted from Nature Nanotechnology:

Implantable bioelectronics are typically inaccessible once implanted, and therefore structural damage, degradation and functional loss often go undetected until complications arise. Reliance on batteries further exacerbates these risks by imposing limited lifetimes, leakage hazards and non-resorbable components that may require surgical removal. Here we report a battery-free, bioresorbable triboelectric implant that enables externally readable, on-demand visualization of device status while generating electrical output. A data-driven materials-to-device workflow combines machine-learning-assisted photophysical screening with molecular-dipole-moment-based selection to identify nanoscale iridium(III) complexes optimized for both optical reporting and triboelectric charge generation. The resulting devices integrate a transcutaneous phosphorescent readout with ultrasound-driven energy harvesting, producing outlines visible to the unaided eye under handheld illumination and generating up to 3.6 V_pp at 0.5 W cm⁻² of ultrasound power. In vivo studies in mice demonstrate that optical readouts track implant position, morphology and damage, correlate structural defects with loss of electrical output, and monitor integrity and bioresorption over 38 weeks. This work establishes a transient in vivo power platform whose morphology reports on structural integrity and energy-harvesting function, offering a route to observable bioelectronic implants and supporting timely intervention.

Meng, X., Kwon, Y.H., Wang, B. et al. Bioresorbable and optically readable triboelectric implants enabled by nanoscale iridophosphors. Nat. Nanotechnol. (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-026-02256-4

Read the full paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-026-02256-4#citeas

Know more about Professor Wong: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/chem/people/academic-staff/prof-wong-wai-yeung-raymond/