Bionic-leaf vein inspired breathable anti-impact wearable electronics with health monitoring, electromagnetic interference shielding and thermal management

Abstract

Breathable and stretchable conductive materials are ideal for healthcare wearable electronic devices. However, the tradeoff between the sensitivity and detection range of electronic sensors and the challenge posed by simple-functional electronics limits their development. Here, inspired by the bionic-leaf vein conductive path, silver nanowires (AgNWs)-Ti3C2Tx (MXene) hybrid structure assembled on the nonwoven fabrics (NWF) is well sandwiched between porous polyborosiloxane elastomer (PBSE) to construct the multifunctional breathable wearable electronics with both high anti-impact performance and good sensing behavior. Benefiting from the high conductive AgNWs-MXene hybrid structure, the NWF/AgNWs-MXene/PBSE nanocomposite exhibits high sensitivity (GF = 1158.1), wide monitoring range (57 %), controllable thermal management properties, and excellent electromagnetic interference shielding effect (SET = 41.46 dB). Moreover, owing to the wonderful shear stiffening effect of PBSE, the NWF/AgNWs-MXene/PBSE possesses a high energy absorption performance. Combining with deep learning, this breathable electronic device can be further applied to wireless sensing gloves and multifunctional medical belts, which will drive the development of electronic skin, human-machine interaction, and personalized healthcare monitoring applications.