Kirigami-Structured, Low-Impedance, and Skin-Conformal Electronics for Long-Term Biopotential Monitoring and Human–Machine Interfaces

Abstract

Epidermal dry electrodes with high skin-compliant stretchability, low bioelectric interfacial impedance, and long-term reliability are crucial for biopotential signal recording and human–machine interaction. However, incorporating these essential characteristics into dry electrodes remains a challenge. Here, a skin-conformal dry electrode is developed by encapsulating kirigami-structured poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/silver nanowires (Ag NWs) film with ultrathin polyurethane (PU) tape. This Kirigami-structured PEDOT:PSS/PVA/Ag NWs/PU epidermal electrode exhibits a low sheet resistance (≈3.9 Ω sq−1), large skin-compliant stretchability (>100%), low interfacial impedance (≈27.41 kΩ at 100 Hz and ≈59.76 kΩ at 10 Hz), and sufficient mechanoelectrical stability. This enhanced performance is attributed to the synergistic effects of ionic/electronic current from PEDOT:PSS/Ag NWs dual conductive network, Kirigami structure, and unique encapsulation. Compared with the existing dry electrodes or standard gel electrodes, the as-prepared electrodes possess lower interfacial impedance and noise in various conditions (e.g., sweat, wet, and movement), indicating superior water/motion-interference resistance. Moreover, they can acquire high-quality biopotential signals even after water rinsing and ultrasonic cleaning. These outstanding advantages enable the Kirigami-structured PEDOT:PSS/PVA/Ag NWs/PU electrodes to effectively monitor human motions in real-time and record epidermal biopotential signals, such as electrocardiogram, electromyogram, and electrooculogram under various conditions, and control external electronics, thereby facilitating human–machine interactions.