Breathable materials for triboelectric effect-based wearable electronics

Abstract

Wearable electronics are believed to be the future of the next-generation electric devices. However, the comfort of current wearable devices is greatly limited due to the use of airtight materials, which may even lead to inflammation of the skin. Therefore, breathable, skin-friendly materials, are highly desired for wearable devices. Here, the recent progress of the breathable materials used to fabricate skin-friendly electronics is reviewed by taking triboelectric effect-based wearable electronics as a typical example. Fibers, yarns, textiles, and nanofiber membranes are the most popular dielectric materials that serve as frictional materials. Metal mesh, silver yarn, and conductive networks made up of nanomaterial are preferred as air-permissive electrodes. The breathable materials for skin-friendly wearable electronics summarized in this review provide valuable references for future fabrication of humanized wearable devices and hold great significance for the practical application of wearable devices.