**Executive Summary**
Researchers at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, have developed an ultrathin flexible film that converts minor temperature fluctuations into electrical signals by embedding nanogold into a PVDF polymer. Published on May 18, 2026, this innovation addresses the demand for lightweight, self-powered materials for next-generation wearable electronics and autonomous sensors. The research demonstrates efficient energy conversion within an ambient temperature range of 294 K to 301 K.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Technological Innovation**
* Engineered ultrathin films (thinner than 100 nanometres) made from polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) embedded with hexagonal nanogold particles.
* Achieved a nearly pure polar phase of PVDF with highly ordered dipoles, essential for efficient pyroelectric behavior.
* Utilized plasmon-dipole-electron coupling to enhance dipole ordering, pyroelectricity, and broadband optical absorption.
**Performance and Capabilities**
* The film converts tiny thermal fluctuations into usable electrical signals, boosting the ability to generate electricity from temperature changes.
* Responds to both thermal and optical stimuli, enabling high-speed, low-power, and self-powered device functionality.
* Operates efficiently over a specific ambient temperature fluctuation range of 294 K to 301 K.
**Applications and Research Details**
* The technology supports advanced systems relevant to healthcare, environmental monitoring, smart photodetectors, and low-grade heat harvesters.
* The research was led by Prof. Dipankar Mandal and Sudip Naskar at INST, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology.
* The findings are published in the journal *Adv. Funct. Mater.* (DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202515437).
**Impact Analysis**
**Research and Development (R&D) Community**
**Impact**
The study provides a new low-dose in-situ nanogold strategy to understand nanoscale gold-polymer interactions and confined plasmonic excitations.
**Action Required**
Researchers should review the published findings in *Advanced Functional Materials* to integrate these dipole-orientation and coupling strategies into future thin-film studies.
**Electronics Manufacturers (Wearables and Sensors)**
**Impact**
The development enables the creation of thinner, lightweight, and more flexible sensors compared to existing micron-thick or less controlled hybrid interface devices.
**Action Required**
Manufacturers need to evaluate the integration of these sub-100 nm hybrid thin films into the design of self-powered wearable electronics and autonomous sensors.
**Energy Sector (Heat Harvesting)**
**Impact**
The technology offers a method for harvesting energy from low-grade heat and ambient temperature fluctuations, improving the energy efficiency of smart devices.
**Action Required**
Engineers should consider utilizing these PVDF-nanogold composites for environmental monitoring and energy-efficient device applications.
Key Entities Referenced
Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali: An autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology that led the development of nano-gold embedded ultrathin films for self-powered electronics.
Department of Science and Technology (DST): The administrative department under the Ministry of Science & Technology that oversees the research and demonstration conducted by INST.
Prof. Dipankar Mandal: The lead scientist who headed the research team responsible for engineering the PVDF-based ultrathin films.
Adv. Funct. Mater. (Advanced Functional Materials): The scientific journal that published the research establishing the technical properties of the 2D hybrid thin film.
Ministry of Science & Technology
NANO-GOLD EMBEDDED IN THIN FILMS PAVES
WAY FOR SELF-POWERED SENSORS &
WEARABLE ELECTRONICS
Posted On: 18 MAY 2026 3:48PM by PIB Delhi
New ultrathin flexible film developed by researchers that can efficiently convert tiny temperature
fluctuations into electrical signals, could support future smart photodetectors, low-grade heat harvesters,
and advanced flexible electronic systems relevant to healthcare, environmental monitoring, and energy-
efficient devices.
There is strong demand for lightweight, flexible, and low-power materials that can convert tiny thermal
fluctuations into usable electrical signals for next-generation smart devices and autonomous sensors.
Earlier plasmonic-pyroelectric and PVDF composite systems have shown enhanced thermal-to-electrical
conversion, but many such approaches rely on micron-thick devices or less controlled hybrid interfaces,
which limits their suitability for thin, wearable, and low-power electronics.
There is a growing interest in combining plasmonic with pyroelectric polymers to create high-speed, low-
power, self-powered devices that can respond to both thermal and optical stimuli.
Scientists from Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, an autonomous institute of the
Department of Science and Technology have demonstrated that embedding a minute amount of nanogold
into a common ferroelectric polymer dramatically boosts its pyroelectric performance or the ability to
generate electricity from changes in temperature.
The team led by Prof. Dipankar Mandal and collaborators including Sudip Naskar, engineered ultrathin
films made from polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), a flexible polymer widely used in electronic and
sensing applications.Fig: Gold polaritons regulate molecular dipoles of PVDF to enhance pyroelectricity, enabling a faster
and more efficient thermal energy-harvesting response.
They built on known ferroelectric and film-forming properties of PVDF, and designed a low-dose in-situ
nanogold strategy to understand how nanoscale gold–polymer interactions, dipole orientation, and
confined plasmonic excitations can be used to tailor pyroelectric performance in very thin films.
By incorporating hexagonal nanogold particles into films thinner than 100 nanometres, the researchers
achieved a nearly pure polar phase of PVDF with highly ordered dipoles, a structure essential for efficient
pyroelectric behaviour.
The research published in Adv. Funct. Mater. establishes that a polymer-supported metastable hexagonal
closed pack phase of gold nanoparticle and a highly ordered polar phase of PVDF matrix can be integrated
into a robust 2D hybrid thin film, where plasmon-dipole-electron coupling act cooperatively to enhance
pyroelectricity, dipole ordering, and broadband optical absorption.
By demonstrating efficient pyroelectric energy conversion in an ultrathin film over a small temperature
fluctuation range of 294 to 301 K, this work addresses an important need for ambient-temperature thermal
sensing and wearable energy harvesting technologies.
Publication link: (https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202515437).
***
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