Self‐Healable Multifunctional Electronic Tattoos Based on Silk and Graphene

TLDR

Electronic tattoos can be mounted on skin for noninvasive, high‑fidelity sensing, but creating self‑healing, multistimuli‑responsive versions remains difficult. This work presents a healable, multifunctional electronic tattoo composed of graphene, silk fibroin, and Ca²⁺. The tattoo is fabricated by printing a graphene/silk fibroin/Ca²⁺ suspension, forming conductive pathways that respond to strain, humidity, and temperature with high sensitivity, rapid response, and long‑term stability. The device fully heals within 0.3 s after water damage via hydrogen and coordination bond reformation, and demonstrates ECG, breathing, and temperature monitoring, indicating its promise for epidermal electronics.

Abstract

Abstract Electronic tattoos (E‐tattoos), which can be intimately mounted on human skin for noninvasive and high‐fidelity sensing, have attracted the attention of researchers in the field of wearable electronics. However, fabricating E‐tattoos that are capable of self‐healing and sensing multistimuli, similar to the inherent attributes of human skin, is still challenging. Herein, a healable and multifunctional E‐tattoo based on a graphene/silk fibroin/Ca 2+ (Gr/SF/Ca 2+ ) combination is reported. The highly flexible E‐tattoos are prepared through printing or writing using Gr/SF/Ca 2+ suspension. The graphene flakes distributed in the matrix form an electrically conductive path that is responsive to environmental changes, such as strain, humidity, and temperature variations, endowing the E‐tattoo with high sensitivity to multistimuli. The performance of the E‐tattoo is investigated as a strain, humidity, and temperature sensor that shows high sensitivity, a fast response, and long‐term stability. The E‐tattoo is remarkably healed after damage by water because of the reformation of hydrogen and coordination bonds at the fractured interface. The healing efficiency is 100% in only 0.3 s. Finally, as proof of concept, its applications for monitoring of electrocardiograms, breathing, and temperature are shown. Based on its unique properties and superior performance, the Gr/SF/Ca 2+ E‐tattoo may be a promising candidate material for epidermal electronics.