Stretchable electronics are crucial enablers for next-generation wearables intimately integrated into the human body. As the primary compliant conductors used in these devices, metallic nanostructure/elastomer composites often struggle to form conformal contact with the textured skin. Hybrid electrodes have been consequently developed based on conductive nanocomposite and soft hydrogels to establish seamless skin-device interfaces. However, chemical modifications are typically needed for reliable bonding, which can alter their original properties. To overcome this limitation, this study presents a facile fabrication approach for mechanically interlocked nanocomposite/hydrogel hybrid electrodes. In this physical process, soft microfoams are thermally laminated on silver nanowire nanocomposites as a porous interface, which forms an interpenetrating network with the hydrogel. The microfoam-enabled bonding strategy is generally compatible with various polymers. The resulting interlocked hybrids have a 28-fold improved interfacial toughness compared to directly stacked hybrids. These electrodes achieve firm attachment to the skin and low contact impedance using tissue-adhesive hydrogels. They have been successfully integrated into an epidermal sleeve to distinguish hand gestures by sensing muscle contractions. Interlocked nanocomposite/hydrogel hybrids reported here offer a promising platform to combine the benefits of both materials for epidermal devices and systems.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10786775 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40820-023-01314-z | DOI Listing |
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!