Gas‐Permeable, Multifunctional On‐Skin Electronics Based on Laser‐Induced Porous Graphene and Sugar‐Templated Elastomer Sponges

A simple, versatile, and effective approach for making multifunctional, on‐skin bioelectronic sensing systems using laser‐induced porous graphene as the sensing components and sugar‐templated elastomer sponges as the substrates is reported. The porous structures of the devices can facilitate perspiration transport and evaporation, and minimize discomfort and inflammation risks, thereby improving their long‐term feasibility. Abstract Soft on‐skin electronics have broad applications in human healthcare, human–machine interface, robotics, and others. However, most current on‐skin electronic devices are made of materials with limited gas permeability, which constrain perspiration evaporation, resulting in adverse physiological and psychological effects, limiting their long‐term feasibility. In addition, the device fabrication process usually involves e‐beam or photolithography, thin‐film deposition, etching, and/or other complicated procedures, which are costly and time‐consuming, constraining their practical applications. Here, a simple, general, and effective approach for making multifunctional on‐skin electronics using porous materials with high‐gas permeability, consisting of laser‐patterned porous graphene as the sensing components and sugar‐templated silicone elastomer sponges as the substrates, is reported. The prototype device examples include electrophysiological sensors, hydration sensors, temperature sensors, and joule‐heating elements, showing signal qualities comparable to conventional, rigid, gas‐impermeable devices. Moreover, the devices exhibit high water‐vapor permeability (≈18 mg cm−2 h−1), ≈18 times higher than that of the silicone elastomers without pores, and also show high water‐wicking rates after polydopamine treatment, up to 1 cm per 30 s, which is comparable to that of cotton. The on‐skin devices with such attributes could facilitate perspiration transport and evaporation, and minimize discomfort and inflammation risks, thereby improving their long‐term feasiblity.

Published in: "Advanced Materials".