ACS Editors: Innovation through Materials
[1L4-6]
Highly transparent and self-healable stretchable conductors for wearable bioelectronics and synesthetic displays
발표자최문기 (울산과학기술원 (UNIST))
연구책임자최문기 (울산과학기술원 (UNIST))
Abstract
Transparent and stretchable conductors are essential for wearable bioelectronics and deformable displays, yet achieving high transparency, conductivity, stretchability, and self-healing in a single platform remains challenging. Here, we present a micropatterned liquid-metal (LM) mesh embedded in a self-healing thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) matrix, enabling a transparent and mechanically robust conductor. The resulting conductor exhibits 81.6% optical transmittance, low sheet resistance (2.5 Ω sq-1), and stretchability beyond 1,000%, while maintaining electrical stability under repeated deformation. The TPU matrix provides effective mechanical self-healing, and the LM network ensures rapid electrical reconnection after damage. We further demonstrate applications in strain-insensitive ECG/EMG sensors and transparent stretchable synesthetic displays with high luminance (~2,500 cd m-2), highlighting its potential for durable soft electronic systems.