Flexible Self‐Repairing Materials for Wearable Sensing Applications: Elastomers and Hydrogels

• Published in: Macromolecular rapid communications. Vol. 41; no. 23; pp. e2000444 - n/a
• Main Authors: Li, Shaonan, Zhou, Xing, Dong, Yanmao, Li, Jihang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.12.2020
• Subjects: conductivity; Elastomers; Flexible components; flexible sensors; Healing; Hydrogels; Mechanical properties; self‐healing; Sensitivity; Sensors; Stability; Wearable technology
• ISSN: 1022-1336; 1521-3927; 1521-3927
• DOI: 10.1002/marc.202000444

Flexible pressure and strain sensors have great potential for applications in wearable and implantable devices, soft robots, and artificial skin. The introduction of self‐healing performance has made a positive contribution to the lifetime and stability of flexible sensors. At present, many self‐healing flexible sensors with high sensitivity have been developed to detect the signal of organism activity. The sensitivity, reliability, and stability of self‐healing flexible sensors depend on the conductive network and mechanical properties of flexible materials. This review focuses on the latest research progress of self‐healing flexible sensors. First, various repair mechanisms of self‐healing flexible materials are reviewed because these mechanisms contribute to the development of self‐healing flexible materials. Then, self‐healing elastomer flexible sensor and self‐healing hydrogel flexible sensor are introduced and discussed respectively. The research status and problems to be solved of these two types of flexible sensors are discussed in detail. Finally, this rapidly developing and promising field of self‐healing flexible sensors and devices is prospected. Flexible pressure and strain sensors have great potential for application in wearable and implantable devices, soft robots and artificial skin. This review briefly summarizes and prospects this rapidly developing and promising field of self‐healing flexible sensors and devices, including repair mechanisms of self‐healing flexible materials, self‐healing elastomer flexible sensors, and self‐healing hydrogel flexible sensors.