Ultra-stretchable and biodegradable elastomers for soft, transient electronics

TLDR

Ultra‑stretchable, biodegradable elastomers have the potential to enable soft, transient electronics by providing rubber‑like mechanical properties while being bioresorbable. The authors introduce elastomers that can stretch up to ~1600 % and exhibit high toughness, tear tolerance, and storage stability. Thin films are fabricated via a facile process that allows integration of diverse electronic devices with tunable adhesive strengths. The conductive elastomers retain high conductivity under tensile strains up to ~550 %, enabling strain‑tolerant monitoring and sensing, and demonstrations of soft electronic grippers and suture‑free cardiac jackets illustrate their potential for multifunctional biodegradable electronics in soft robotics and biomedical implants.

Abstract

As rubber-like elastomers have led to scientific breakthroughs in soft, stretchable characteristics-based wearable, implantable electronic devices or relevant research fields, developments of degradable elastomers with comparable mechanical properties could bring similar technological innovations in transient, bioresorbable electronics or expansion into unexplored areas. Here, we introduce ultra-stretchable, biodegradable elastomers capable of stretching up to ~1600% with outstanding properties in toughness, tear-tolerance, and storage stability, all of which are validated by comprehensive mechanical and biochemical studies. The facile formation of thin films enables the integration of almost any type of electronic device with tunable, suitable adhesive strengths. Conductive elastomers tolerant/sensitive to mechanical deformations highlight possibilities for versatile monitoring/sensing components, particularly the strain-tolerant composites retain high levels of conductivities even under tensile strains of ~550%. Demonstrations of soft electronic grippers and transient, suture-free cardiac jackets could be the cornerstone for sophisticated, multifunctional biodegradable electronics in the fields of soft robots and biomedical implants.