Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Wearable bioelectronic systems are rapidly emerging as a core technological platform for next-generation health monitoring, neuromodulation, and human-machine interaction. These applications impose stringent demands on materials, including softness, high electrical conductivity, conformal skin contact, and long-term durability. In this work, we present an ultrathin, highly customizable, and encapsulation-free smart textile platform based on a liquid metal (LM) and waterborne polyurethane composite. The conductive patterns are fabricated via laser pre-patterning and a one-step heat-transfer printing process, without the need for additional adhesives or encapsulation layers, enabling high-resolution integration with textile substrates. The resulting fabric electrodes exhibit outstanding initial conductivity, excellent mechanical stretchability, and robust wash durability over multiple laundering cycles. This textile platform supports a wide range of bioelectronic functionalities, including high-fidelity electrocardiogram (ECG) signal acquisition, rapid and tunable Joule heating for wearable warming applications, lightweight neural network-based gesture recognition (ten classes), and electrical stimulation for pain relief or functional therapy. Together, these results offer a unified, multifunctional platform for next-generation wearable devices and intelligent textile systems.
Source: Small
Authors: Yang Wang, Bochuan Jiang, Chang Ding, Junhua Zheng, Peihua Xu, Huanyu Yang, Chengkuo Lee, Yu Jiang, Yuhang Li
Language: English
Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Awards: G3390524952, G3828234975, G746962839
OpenAlex ID: W7128960681