Highly conductive and ultrarobust elastic conductors for stretchable electronics

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Authors: Tong Zheng, Shengxin Xiang, Qiongfeng Shi, Li J, Xiao Wei, L Liu, Chenhui Xu, Shengshun Duan, Pinzhen Chen, Xinkai Xie, Litao Sun, Jun Wu
Cited by: 5
References: 42

Abstract

Elastic conductors are vital for flexible electronics, but the high filler concentrations conventionally required to achieve metallic conductivity severely degrade mechanical properties. Here, we report a poor solvent–induced interfacial self-assembly strategy to fabricate robust elastic conductors. This approach yields a resilient top polymer domain and a bottom liquid metal (LM) polymer interpenetrating conductive domain. Consequently, the conductors achieve exceptional conductivity (3.33 × 10 6 siemens per meter), extreme stretchability (>1400% strain), and high toughness (>30 megapascals) at a low LM loading (~15% volume proportion). By regulating the self-assembly behavior of LM nanoparticles in elastomers, our method overcomes the traditional trade-off between electrical and mechanical performance. Demonstrating its practical utility, we constructed a wireless stretchable system for monitoring the temperature and motion of living organisms, highlighting its broad applicability in high-performance wearable and implantable electronics.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials Conducting polymers and applications Dielectric materials and actuators

Publication details

Journal / source
Science Advances
Volume
12
Issue
25
Pages
eaee8109–eaee8109
Publication date
19 June 2026
Language
EN