Flexible Electronics Research Articles

Functional films have been widely utilized in flexible electronics, biosensing, and energy devices owing to their unique mechanical compliance and excellent interfacial transport efficiency. However, balancing structural precision with processing efficiency remains a key challenge in the scalable fabrication of uniform, low-aspect-ratio architectures across diverse material systems. Here, wide-flow aerosol jet printing (WF-AJP), a high-throughput printing method capable of generating planar aerosol jets, is introduced. Reshaping the nozzle into a flattened rectangular geometry generates a collimated planar flow that enables millimeter-scale deposition in a single pass (aspect ratio <1:6000, thickness <500nm), a capability unattainable byconventional circular-nozzle printing. Systematic cross-scale characterization of the film formation process further reveals a delicate balance between macroscopic morphology and functional performance. A staggered deposition strategy that reduces interlayer accumulation and lowers electrical anisotropy is further implemented. Applications in conformal electrodes and skin-interfaced sensors highlight the versatility of WF-AJP for wearable and bio-integrated electronics. This work establishes a structure-controlled and scalable patterning paradigm for functional films, paving the way for future innovations in high-throughput additive manufacturing.

Balancing mechanical strength and self-healing properties in self-healing polyurethane remains a critical challenge for the development of high-performance self-healing materials. Here, this study constructed a network of multilevel dynamic hydrogen bonds and oxime-carbamate bonds within intrinsic self-healing polyurethane, laying the foundation for high strength and reparability. To enable efficient and controllable healing, a hybrid photothermal material (MHP) was developed through chemical bonding between MXene and polydopamine nanoparticles, leveraging their synergistic photothermal effect in the near-infrared region to enable precise and remote activation of the healing process. The resulting polyurethane nanocomposite (IB-PU1/MHP1%) demonstrates outstanding comprehensive properties: a tensile strength of 58.8 MPa, an elongation at break of 790%, and a toughness of up to 149.2 MJ/m3. Under near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation (808 nm), the material surface temperature rapidly rises to 91.1 °C within 180 s, enabling efficient healing within 30 min at a power density of 1.00 W/cm2, with a healing efficiency of 82.7%. Moreover, the material exhibits a hardness of approximately 57.2 Shore A and shows no permanent deformation after tensile fracture. This work not only overcomes the challenge of high-temperature healing in outdoor applications through photothermal conversion but also provides a new molecular design strategy for high-performance self-healing PUs, broadening their potential applications in flexible electronics, smart coatings, and related fields.

Flexible electronics have revolutionized wearable devices, soft robotics, and human-machine interfaces, yet conventional 2D architectures face inherent limitations in integration density and performance. 3D integration emerges as a transformative solution, enabling vertical stacking of functional layers to achieve miniaturization, improved signal integrity, and heterogeneous system integration. Despite these benefits, critical challenges remain in developing reliable 3D interconnect technologies for flexible systems, including the need for stretchable and highly conductive materials, robust fabrication processes for multilayer integration, and solutions to mitigate interfacial stress and signal crosstalk. This review systematically examines recent advancements in 3D flexible interconnects, covering material innovations, fabrication techniques, rigid-flex integration strategies, and crosstalk suppression approaches. Representative applications of 3D flexible electronics are further highlighted and future research directions are discussed to advance this promising field.

Since its inception, plastic has become an indispensable material in human production activities and daily life. Polycarbonate (PC), a high-performance engineering plastic, has emerged as one of the top five engineering plastics due to its outstanding comprehensive properties and is among the fastest-growing and most promising varieties. Polycarbonate is classified into petroleum-based and bio-based types. Bio-based polycarbonate serves as a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based polycarbonate, with core advantages including environmental friendliness and resource renewability. The rigid benzene ring structure in the polycarbonate molecular chain endows it with exceptional performance: it exhibits excellent impact resistance and high tensile strength, as well as low swelling rates, superior insulation, flame retardancy, and electrical properties. These characteristics make it highly promising for applications in flexible electronics, including flexible displays, smart wearable devices, and electronic skin. This paper provides a systematic review of research progress on polycarbonate in flexible electronic devices, focusing on three core areas: first, its applications and technological breakthroughs in key fields such as flexible substrates, functional composite materials, sensors, and packaging; second, modification methods for optimizing polycarbonate performance; third, based on the current research status, an outline of future key research directions, offering references for innovative development in related fields.

Abstract Dielectric materials are crucial in various fields, including catalysis, energy storage, flexible electronics, and biosensing, and have consequently attracted sustained research interest. Recent reviews have summarized advances in dielectric materials, emphasizing synthesis strategies and applications in specific fields. In practical operations, dielectric materials are often subjected to external physical stimuli such as temperature gradients, electric fields, and mechanical stresses, which drive coupled processes involving polarization, charge transport, and structural reconfiguration. These processes, typically occurring at the nano or atomic scale, decisively influence device performance and reliability. However, reviews on the dynamic dielectric properties of multi‐stimuli‐responsive composites are scarce, particularly from a nanoscale composition–structure–mechanism–function perspective. To bridge this gap, this review outlines the intrinsic properties of representative dielectric constituents and multidimensional design strategies. In addition, it provides a nanoscale analysis of the dynamic response mechanisms induced by external stimuli and their impact on performance, highlighting key challenges such as dielectric reversibility, long‐term stability, and controlled tuning under multiphysics conditions. The review concludes by emphasizing the opportunities for the use of dielectrics in artificial‐intelligence‐driven material discovery, predictive modeling, and multiphysics integration to guide the design of next‐generation responsive dielectric materials for adaptive devices.

Mechanically strong and tough polyvinyl alcohol-gelatin organohydrogel fibers doped by tannic acid coated carbon nanotubes with high conductivity for dual-sensing of strain and temperature.

In this work, the application of 3D printing for microfabrication and mechanical stress characterization in flexible electronics is presented. The 3D printing method used is fused deposition modeling with polylactic acid (PLA) filament as an eco-friendly alternative. For mechanical stress characterization, a 3D device is designed to be adapted to the requirements of flexible samples showing accuracy, versatility and easy implementation in any probe-station. For microfabrication, a PLA 3D shadow mask is used to transfer silver patterns to flexible substrates such as Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) and photographic paper. A systematic study to evaluate the mechanical stress in the silver patterns is conducted using the 3D printed devices previously designed. The silver film is evaporated using a thermal evaporating coater. Finally, to demonstrate a flexible Printed Circuit Board (PCB) application, a silver path evaporated on PET substrate is used as a transmission line for a sine electrical signal. The flexible PCB exhibits a reliable electrical operation even when the substrate is bent.

Dual-crosslinked liquid metal-cellulose hydrogels with synergistic conduction networks for multimodal wearable biosensing.

Engineering robust bio-based 3D structures from corn stalk pith through a sustainable route to nano-micro structured extreme environment resistant materials.

A sustainable approach for harnessing the synergy between lignosulfonate and hemicellulose: Towards next-generation bio-derived flexible electronics.

In-situ Raman spectroscopy for soft contacts.

Carboxymethyl cellulose-assisted antioxidant MXene coating for cotton fabric with flame retardancy and sensing property.

Stretchable semiconducting polymer aerogel transistors for high-performance biosensors and artificial synapses.

Facile surface modification of cellulose nanofiber with "cross-linkable" internal alkene by syringaldehyde in aqueous medium towards mechanically robust nanocomposite hydrogels.

Hydrophobic associations and cellulose nanofibers reinforced PVA/PAM multi-network conductive hydrogel with high sensitivity, fast response, and excellent mechanical properties.

Real-time reduction of graphene oxide using Raman spectroscopy.

PEG-engineered semi-interpenetrating network hydrogel with superior deformability and robustness for ultra-sensitive pressure sensing.

This review comprehensively explores the synthetic development, photophysical properties, and diverse applications of 3-substituted benzanthrone derivatives. These derivatives, functionalized at the C-3 position, exhibit exceptional fluorescence, photostability, and tunability, making them highly versatile in fields, such as organic electronics, dye chemistry, and photodynamic therapy. Benzanthrone-based compounds are pivotal in the development of advanced materials, including organic semiconductors for flexible electronics and daylight fluorescent pigments. This review highlights innovative synthetic methodologies, from traditional approaches to eco-friendly techniques, emphasizing their impact on the efficiency and environmental sustainability of these compounds. The discussion extends to the potential of benzanthrone derivatives as photodegradation inhibitors and their promising role in next-generation laser dye technologies. By integrating these derivatives into various applications, this review underscores their critical importance in advancing material science and technology, paving the way for future innovations.

A versatile organohydrogel with ultra-stretchability, self-healing and self-adhesion for multifunctional flexible electronics

Multifunctional bio-based wearable ionogel with hierarchical dynamic covalent crosslinked double networks enabled by surface active xylan.