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Conformable Wearable Electrodes: From Fabrication to Electrophysiological Assessment
Published on: July 22, 2022
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Soft Liquid Metal-Based Conducting Composite with Robust Electrical Durability for a Wearable Electrocardiogram
Yewon Kim1,2, Jihyang Song2,3, Soojung An1,2
1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Korea.
Polymers
|August 26, 2022
Summary
Researchers developed a new soft electronic material using liquid metal particles within a polymer composite. This material offers high conductivity and durability for advanced bioelectronic devices like electrocardiogram sensors.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Bioelectronics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Liquid metals possess unique conductivity and room-temperature liquid properties.
- Matching device modulus to biological tissue is crucial for high-quality signal recording in bioelectronics.
- Soft electronics require stable electrical characteristics and mechanical compliance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel conductive composite for soft electronics using liquid metal.
- To investigate the electrical and mechanical properties of the fabricated composite.
- To demonstrate the utility of the composite in bioelectronic applications.
Main Methods:
- Eutectic Gallium Indium (EGaIn) liquid metal was sonicated into particles.
- EGaIn particles were mixed with a Styrene-Ethylene-Butylene-Styrene (SEBS) solution in toluene to form a composite.
- An EGaIn-Alginate two-layer electrode (EATE) was fabricated for device demonstration.
Main Results:
- The EGaIn-SEBS composite exhibited high electrical conductivity.
- The composite demonstrated excellent electrical durability under mechanical stress.
- The material's modulus closely matched bare SEBS, offering improved flexibility over solid-filler composites.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring was successfully demonstrated using the EATE.
Conclusions:
- The EGaIn-SEBS composite is a promising material for soft bioelectronics.
- The developed material offers a balance of conductivity, durability, and mechanical compliance.
- The EGaIn-Alginate electrode shows potential for high-performance bioelectronic signal monitoring.
