INS6-0992
Stretchable Conducting Polymer Systems for Wearable Thermoelectrics and Batteries
Topic
S6. Emerging Polymer and Hybrid Materials for Advanced Energy Storage and Conversion
When and Where
Oct 1, 2026
10:45 - 11:10
Room 311 & 312
Session Chairs
Soochan KIM
Presenter(s)
Nara Kim (Linköping University)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Abstract
The growing demand for personalized healthcare and intelligent human–machine interfaces calls for electronic materials that can function reliably within soft, deformable biological environments. Organic electronic materials, particularly conjugated polymers, can be engineered to achieve intrinsic stretchability while enabling mixed ionic–electronic transport, thermoelectric energy conversion, and electrochemical charge storage.
In this talk, I will present our work on developing stretchable conducting polymer systems based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) for soft energy harvesting and storage devices. By engineering mixed ionic–electronic elastomeric networks, we developed a PEDOT-based composite that simultaneously delivers high electrical conductivity (140 S/cm), extreme stretchability (up to 600%), and low mechanical stiffness (Young’s modulus ~7 MPa).[1] This material enabled the first intrinsically stretchable organic thermoelectric module and an intrinsically stretchable organic battery based on a plant-derived redox molecule.[1,2] More recently, we developed stretchable porous electrodes composed of self-fused, highly conductive PEDOT:PSS microfibers, allowing efficient ion and redox transport and achieving areal capacities of up to 1.2 mAh/cm2. Together, these advances establish conducting polymers as a versatile platform for next-generation stretchable energy harvesters and batteries, paving the way toward mechanically compliant, energy-autonomous wearable electronics.
References
1. N.Kim et al., Nat. Commun. 11, 1424 (2020)
2. N.Kim* et al., J. Mater. Chem. 11, 25703-25714 (2023)
The growing demand for personalized healthcare and intelligent human–machine interfaces calls for electronic materials that can function reliably within soft, deformable biological environments. Organic electronic materials, particularly conjugated polymers, can be engineered to achieve intrinsic stretchability while enabling mixed ionic–electronic transport, thermoelectric energy conversion, and electrochemical charge storage.
In this talk, I will present our work on developing stretchable conducting polymer systems based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) for soft energy harvesting and storage devices. By engineering mixed ionic–electronic elastomeric networks, we developed a PEDOT-based composite that simultaneously delivers high electrical conductivity (140 S/cm), extreme stretchability (up to 600%), and low mechanical stiffness (Young’s modulus ~7 MPa).[1] This material enabled the first intrinsically stretchable organic thermoelectric module and an intrinsically stretchable organic battery based on a plant-derived redox molecule.[1,2] More recently, we developed stretchable porous electrodes composed of self-fused, highly conductive PEDOT:PSS microfibers, allowing efficient ion and redox transport and achieving areal capacities of up to 1.2 mAh/cm2. Together, these advances establish conducting polymers as a versatile platform for next-generation stretchable energy harvesters and batteries, paving the way toward mechanically compliant, energy-autonomous wearable electronics.
References
1. N.Kim et al., Nat. Commun. 11, 1424 (2020)
2. N.Kim* et al., J. Mater. Chem. 11, 25703-25714 (2023)
