Conductive Polymer Nanocomposites for Stretchable Electronics: Material Selection, Design, and Applications

TLDR

Stretchable electronics that can elongate elastically while maintaining electrical conduction are essential for wearable medical devices, electronic skin, and soft robotics, requiring materials that endure large mechanical strain beyond traditional metals and silicon. This review surveys recent advances in stretchable conductive polymer nanocomposites with exceptional stretchability and electrical properties, highlighting their potential to transform wearable sensors, stretchable conductors and electrodes, and deformable energy‑harvesting and storage devices. The review focuses on achieving these properties through judicious selection and hybridization of nanomaterials, novel microstructure designs, and facile fabrication processes. Applications such as COVID‑19 remote monitoring, connected health, electronic skin for augmented intelligence, and soft robotics are summarized, along with perspectives on future challenges and research opportunities.

Abstract

Stretchable electronics that can elongate elastically as well as flex are crucial to a wide range of emerging technologies, such as wearable medical devices, electronic skin, and soft robotics. Critical to stretchable electronics is their ability to withstand large mechanical strain without failure while retaining their electrical conduction properties, a feat significantly beyond traditional metals and silicon-based semiconductors. Herein, we present a review of the recent advances in stretchable conductive polymer nanocomposites with exceptional stretchability and electrical properties, which have the potential to transform a wide range of applications, including wearable sensors for biophysical signals, stretchable conductors and electrodes, and deformable energy-harvesting and -storage devices. Critical to achieving these stretching properties are the judicious selection and hybridization of nanomaterials, novel microstructure designs, and facile fabrication processes, which are the focus of this Review. To highlight the potentials of conductive nanocomposites, a summary of some recent important applications is presented, including COVID-19 remote monitoring, connected health, electronic skin for augmented intelligence, and soft robotics. Finally, perspectives on future challenges and new research opportunities are also presented and discussed.