Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• This work reviews recent advancements in electrospun nanofiber-based composite materials for monitoring physical, physiological, and body fluid signals, with a particular focus on the design strategies of nanofiber-based composites. • The electrospinning technologies, nanofiber morphologies, fabrication of nanofiber membranes, and the integration of nanofibers with materials such as hydrogels, aerogels, or metals are comprehensively reviewed and discussed. • The current challenges and future prospects of nanofiber-based composite materials for human monitoring are discussed and analyzed. • The review highlights the development of multimodal sensors capable of responding to diverse stimuli, focusing on innovative strategies for decoupling multiple signals and their state-of-the-art advancements.
Abstract
Flexible electronic skin (E-skin) sensors offer innovative solutions for detecting human body signals, enabling human–machine interactions and advancing the development of intelligent robotics. Electrospun nanofibers are particularly well-suited for E-skin applications due to their exceptional mechanical properties, tunable breathability, and lightweight nature. Nanofiber-based composite materials consist of three-dimensional structures that integrate one-dimensional polymer nanofibers with other functional materials, enabling efficient signal conversion and positioning them as an ideal platform for next-generation intelligent electronics. Here, this review begins with an overview of electrospinning technology, including far-field electrospinning, near-field electrospinning, and melt electrospinning. It also discusses the diverse morphologies of electrospun nanofibers, such as core–shell, porous, hollow, bead, Janus, and ribbon structure, as well as strategies for incorporating functional materials to enhance nanofiber performance. Following this, the article provides a detailed introduction to electrospun nanofiber-based composite materials (i.e., nanofiber/hydrogel, nanofiber/aerogel, nanofiber/metal), emphasizing their recent advancements in monitoring physical, physiological, body fluid, and multi-signal in human signal detection. Meanwhile, the review explores the development of multimodal sensors capable of responding to diverse stimuli, focusing on innovative strategies for decoupling multiple signals and their state-of-the-art advancements. Finally, current challenges are analyzed, while future prospects for electrospun nanofiber-based composite sensors are outlined. This review aims to advance the design and application of next-generation flexible electronics, fostering breakthroughs in multifunctional sensing and health monitoring technologies.
1. Introduction
The human skin, the body’s largest organ, is crucial for sensing various external stimuli, including physical and chemical signals, and then transmitting these signals to the brain via nerves, enabling humans to respond and react to their environment [1–3]. In recent years, E-skin devices, which emerged as wearable technology that mimics the functionality of human skin while incorporating additional features, have attracted significant attention and research interest [4]. Currently, E-skin sensors are used in two main platforms: human body and intelligent robotics (artificial prosthetics). For human applications, sensors primarily detect various human signals including physical signals (i.e., pulse, joint movement, and facial motion), physiological signals (i.e., electrocardiograms (ECGs), electromyograms (EMGs), electrooculograms (EOGs), electroencephalograms (EEGs)), and body fluid signals (i.e., sweat, saliva, urine and blood) [5–7].
Various types of materials have been developed and utilized for human sensing, among which composites of nanofibrous membranes (NFMs) with other materials have attracted widespread interest from researchers. Hydrogels, aerogels, and metal materials are often employed as composite components for electrospun NFMs. As the most commonly used form of E-skin sensors, hydrogels have inherent properties of high-water content that are similar to those of human tissue and variable mechanical properties. Integrating hydrogel with NFMs possesses the functional properties of hydrogel and the structural advantages of nanofibers (excellent mechanical properties and topological structures) [8]. In addition, the incorporation of NFMs significantly strengthens aerogels by creating a reinforcing network within the aerogel’s structure. This enhancement not only significantly improves the mechanical strength and durability of the nanofiber/aerogel composite materials, but also broadens their potential application in the field of flexible electronics [9, 10]. Furthermore, the integration of metal materials into NFMs enhances their compatibility with flexible electronics by enabling precise patterning and embedding of
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Fang Guo, Zheng Ren, Shanchi Wang, Yu Xie, Jialin Pan, Jianying Huang, Tianxue Zhu, Si Cheng, Yuekun Lai (2025). Recent Progress of Electrospun Nanofiber-Based Composite Materials for Monitoring Physical, Physiological, and Body Fluid Signals. Nano-Micro Letters. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-01804-2
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are electrospun nanofiber-based composite materials?
These are three-dimensional structures that integrate one-dimensional polymer nanofibers with other functional materials like hydrogels, aerogels, or metals, enabling efficient signal conversion for flexible electronic applications.
What are the main applications of these composite materials?
They are used in flexible electronic skin (E-skin) sensors for monitoring physical signals (e.g., pulse, joint movement), physiological signals (e.g., ECG, EMG), and body fluid signals (e.g., sweat, saliva), as well as for human-machine interactions and intelligent robotics.
What electrospinning techniques are discussed in the review?
The review covers far-field electrospinning, near-field electrospinning, and melt electrospinning, along with various nanofiber morphologies such as core-shell, porous, hollow, bead, Janus, and ribbon structures.
How do nanofiber composites enhance sensor performance?
They combine the mechanical robustness and structural advantages of nanofibers with the functional properties of hydrogels, aerogels, or metals, leading to improved sensitivity, breathability, and durability in flexible sensors.
What are the future prospects for these materials?
The review outlines challenges and future directions, including the development of multimodal sensors that can decouple multiple signals, and advancing next-generation flexible electronics for multifunctional sensing and health monitoring.
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