Bioinspired breathable biodegradable bioelastomer-based flexible wearable electronics for high-sensitivity human-interactive sensing

Abstract

Flexible wearable electronic sensors are regarded to facilitate revolutionary changes in human's daily life for their great promise in multifunctional artificial electronic skins, personalized healthcare monitoring, and smart human–machine interaction. However, there remains great challenges to simultaneously achieve high sensitivity, broad sensing range and robust cyclic stability for high-performance personal diagnostic healthcare monitoring, excellent breathability for comfortable wearing, as well as environmentally friendly biodegradability for reducing electronic wastes. Herein, bioinspired by three-dimensional network structure of ant nest with high specific surface area, interconnected channels, and robust ventilation, a wearable, breathable, and biodegradable electronic sensor is prepared from facile face-to-face assembly of breathable biodegradable MXene-coated poly(1,8-octanediol-co-polycaprolactone citrate) elastomer sponge (MXene@POPLC), and an MXene ink-printed interdigitated electrode-coated breathable electrospun film. The as-obtained flexible electronic sensor exhibits high sensitivity (up to 246.3 kPa−1), broad sensing range (up to 333.3 kPa), reliable cycling stability (∼20,000 cycles), fast response (10 ms)/recovery time, robust breathability, excellent biocompatibility, facile biodegradability, and wireless wearable human–machine interfacing. Therefore, this line of research work opens up a novel avenue for the preparation of multifunctional wearable, breathable, and biodegradable electronics to hold great promise in smart healthcare monitoring, intelligent human–machine interaction, smart personal protection and next-generation artificial skin.