Metallic Nanowire-Film Hierarchical Structures for Stretchable Bioelectronic Systems

Abstract

Stretchable materials are essential for wearable bioelectronic applications. However, current strategies still remain challenging to achieve fully integrated stretchable bioelectronic devices due to the limited electrical functionality and the complex fabrication processes of stretchable materials. Here, we develop metallic nanowire film hierarchical structures for multifunctional stretchable bioelectronic systems. The hierarchical structures show the application-specific functions of high conductivity (3.84 × 106 S/m at 30% of strain), electromechanical sensitivity, and electrocatalytic performance (60.06 μA/cm2/mM of sensitivity for glucose) by the combination of metallic nanowire and films. Moreover, micropatterned hierarchical structures at a width of 50 μm exhibit low device-to-device variations in resistance (<20%). This unified material platform enables simplified fabrication workflow, maintaining its electrical characteristics and stretchability. As a model system, the fully integrated wireless smart contact lenses with the hierarchical structures demonstrate the stable operation for continuous intraocular pressure and glucose monitoring under ocular deformation in rabbit models, reflecting the feasibility for various bioelectronic applications.