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Stretchable, breathable, and washable epidermal electrodes based on microfoam reinforced ultrathin conductive nanocomposites

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Abstract

Stretchable epidermal electronics allow conformal interactions with the human body for emerging applications in wearable health monitoring and therapy. Stretchable devices are commonly constructed on submillimeter-thick elastomer substrates with limited moisture permeability, thereby leading to unpleasant sensations during long-term attachment. Although the ultrathin elastomer membrane may address this problem, the mechanical robustness is essentially lost for direct manipulations and repetitive uses. Here, we report a stretchable, breathable, and washable epidermal electrode of microfoam reinforced ultrathin conductive nanocomposite (MRUCN). The new architecture involves ultrathin conductive silver nanowire nanocomposite features supported on a porous elastomeric microfoam substrate, which exhibits high moisture permeability for pleasant perceptions during epidermal applications. As-prepared epidermal electrodes show excellent electronic conductivity (8440 S·cm−1), high feature resolution (∼ 50 µm), decent stretchability, and excellent durability. In addition, the MRUCN retains stable electrical properties during washing to meet the hygiene requirements for repetitive uses. The successful implementation in an integrated electronic patch demonstrates the practical suitability of MRUCN for a broad range of epidermal electronic devices and systems.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Key Research and Development Program of Jiangsu Provincial Department of Science and Technology of China (No. BE2019002), Key Research and Development Program of Hebei Provence (No. 19251804D), and High-Level Entrepreneurial and Innovative Talents Program of Jiangsu Province.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300130, China

    Tao Ma & Dongchan Li

  2. College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210046, China

    Yong Lin, Xiaohui Ma, Jiaxue Zhang & Desheng Kong

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  1. Tao Ma
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  2. Yong Lin
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  3. Xiaohui Ma
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Correspondence to Dongchan Li or Desheng Kong.

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Stretchable, breathable, and washable epidermal electrodes based on microfoam reinforced ultrathin conductive nanocomposites

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Ma, T., Lin, Y., Ma, X. et al. Stretchable, breathable, and washable epidermal electrodes based on microfoam reinforced ultrathin conductive nanocomposites. Nano Res. 16, 10412–10419 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-023-5537-x

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