Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• Comprehensive review of stretchable electronic conductors covering materials, structures, fabrication, and applications. • Emphasis on performance enhancement strategies and application-specific requirements for SECs. • Analysis of existing challenges and future prospects in the field. • Essential for next-generation stretchable electronics with huge market potential.
Abstract
Stretchable electronics have been recognized as intriguing next-generation electronics that possess huge market value, and stretchable electronic conductors (SECs) are essential for stretchable electronics, which not only can serve as critical functional components but also are the indispensable electronic connections bridging various electronic components within stretchable electronic systems. Herein, we offer a comprehensive review of recent progress in SECs including the material categories, structure designs, fabrication techniques, and applications. The characteristics, performance enhancement strategies, and application requirements are emphasized. Based on the recent advances, the existing challenges and future prospects are outlined and discussed.
1. Introduction
Traditional rigid electronics are uncapable of conforming to curved or deformable surfaces which are commonly seen in daily life, and stretchable electronics emerge to address such challenges, whose stretchability and shape adaption are mainly realized through stretchable structural designs and intrinsically stretchable materials. Stretchable electronics have been given substantial attention and shown tremendous potential to revolutionize myriad areas such as medical care, robotics, and sports [1–8].
As conductive materials that can maintain reliable electrical properties despite substantial mechanical deformation, stretchable conductors are critical base materials for stretchable electronics, which allow for seamless integration with various irregular surfaces and excellent adaptability to operational environments [9–12]. The conductive mechanisms in stretchable conductors can be divided into two categories: ionic conduction [13–15] and electronic conduction, with electronic conduction being more prevalent. Electronic conductivity is not o...
Loading authentic research manuscript (Pages 1–5)...
Bin Cheng, Jingting Zhuo, Yao Zhou, Jiaxiang Chen, Lingyun Cao, Jiangfeng He, Zhihong Chen, Xiaoxiao Ma, Juan Wang, Honglong Li, Guowei Yang, Fang Yi (2026). Design, Fabrication, and Application of Stretchable Electronic Conductors. Nano-Micro Letters. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-02009-3
Research & Educational Purpose Only:The translations, structured abstracts, analytical annotations, and data reports provided by SinoTechIntel are intended exclusively for academic research, internal corporate R&D, and educational benchmarking. They do not constitute formal engineering, chemical safety, legal, or professional advice.
Copyright & Intellectual Property Notice: Original copyright of the underlying source articles and experimental data remains with the respective authors, institutions, and original publishing journals. SinoTechIntel claims intellectual property only over its proprietary translations, analytical syntheses, and AEO structured enhancements in accordance with international fair use and academic citation principles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are stretchable electronic conductors (SECs)?
SECs are conductive materials that maintain reliable electrical properties under substantial mechanical deformation, serving as critical functional components and interconnections in stretchable electronic systems.
What are the main categories of materials used for SECs?
The review covers various material categories including metals (e.g., Cu, Au, Ag), carbon nanomaterials (e.g., CNTs, graphene), conductive polymers (e.g., PEDOT:PSS), and liquid metals (e.g., EGaIn).
What are the key performance enhancement strategies for SECs?
Strategies include structural designs (e.g., serpentine, kirigami, porous networks), material engineering (e.g., nanocomposites, surface modifications), and fabrication techniques (e.g., 3D printing, electrospinning).
What are the main applications of stretchable electronic conductors?
SECs are used in wearable electronics, medical devices, soft robotics, stretchable displays, energy harvesting/storage devices, and electronic skin.
What are the current challenges and future prospects for SECs?
Challenges include achieving high conductivity and stretchability simultaneously, long-term stability, and scalable fabrication. Future prospects involve multifunctional materials, self-healing properties, and integration with advanced systems.
Related Technical Papers & Translations
Direct Repair of the Crystal Structure and Coating Surface of Spent LiFePO4 Materials Enables Superfast Li-Ion Migration
The rapid accumulation of spent LiFePO4 (LFP) cathodes from retired lithium-ion batteries necessitates the development of effective and environmental-friendly recycling strategies. In this context, direct regeneration has emerged as a promising approach for reclaiming LFP cathode materials, offering a streamlined pathway to restore their electrochemical functionality. We report an integrated regeneration protocol that simultaneously repairs the degraded crystal structure and reconstructs the damaged carbon coating in spent LFP. The regenerated cathode material had superfast lithium-ion diffusion kinetics and a stable cathode–electrolyte interface, giving a remarkable rate capability with specific capacities of 122 mAh g−1 at 5C and 106 mAh g−1 at 10C (1C = 170 mA g−1). It also maintained capacities of 110.7 mAh g−1 (5C) and 84.1 mAh g−1 (10C) after 400 cycles. It could be used in harsh environments and could be stably cycled at subzero temperatures (−10 and −20 °C) and in solid-state electrolyte batteries. Life cycle assessment combined with economic evaluation using the EverBatt model reveals that this direct regeneration approach has high economic and environmental benefits.
Oxide Semiconductor for Advanced Memory Architectures: Atomic Layer Deposition, Key Requirement and Challenges
Oxide semiconductors (OSs), introduced by the Hosono group in the early 2000s, have evolved from display backplane materials to promising candidates for advanced memory and logic devices. The exceptionally low leakage current of OSs and compatibility with three-dimensional (3D) architectures have recently sparked renewed interest in their use in semiconductor applications. This review begins by exploring the unique material properties of OSs, which fundamentally originate from their distinct electronic band structure. Subsequently, we focus on atomic layer deposition (ALD), a core technique for growing excellent OS films, covering both basic and advanced processes compatible with 3D scaling. The basic surface reaction mechanisms—adsorption and reaction—and their roles in film growth are introduced. Furthermore, material design strategies, such as cation selection, crystallinity control, anion doping, and heterostructure engineering, are discussed. We also highlight challenges in memory applications, including contact resistance, hydrogen instability, and lack of p-type materials, and discuss the feasibility of ALD-grown OSs as potential solutions. Lastly, we provide an outlook on the role of ALD-grown OSs in memory technologies. This review bridges material fundamentals and device-level requirements, offering a comprehensive perspective on the potential of ALD-driven OSs for next-generation semiconductor memory devices.
Laser powder bed fusion of biodegradable Zn-4Cu alloy: Processing, microstructure and properties
Zn's natural degradability and biocompatibility make it a promising candidate for implants, however, its mechanical properties remain insufficient for bone applications. In this study, the performance of Zn was enhanced by developing Zn-Cu alloys via laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). Optimal LPBF parameters for forming stable tracks were achieved by adjusting laser power and scanning speed. Under optimized conditions of 100 W and 100 mm/s, high-density (99.58%) Zn-Cu alloys with improved hardness (68.2HV) and yield strength (160 MPa) were achieved. These improvements are attributed to solid solution strengthening, segregation strengthening, and grain refinement. The Zn-Cu alloys also demonstrated favorable degradation behavior, with a rate of 0.16 mm/year. This degradation is primarily driven by micro-galvanic corrosion between the CuZn5 phase and Zn matrix, along with refined grains and increased grain boundary density. This work demonstrates a viable strategy for fabricating Zn-based implants with enhanced structural integrity and mechanical performance via LPBF.