Printable, self-healing and recyclable PEDOT:PSS/polyurethane composites for durable bioelectronics.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Bioelectronics

Background:

• Flexible bioelectronics require robust, self-healing conductive materials.
• Current materials often lack printability, recyclability, or resilience to significant damage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a multifunctional composite conductor with self-healing, printable, and recyclable properties.
• To overcome limitations in current flexible bioelectronic materials.

Main Methods:

• Blending poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) with a custom polyurethane (PU) containing dynamic disulfide bonds and hydrogen-bonding motifs.
• Processing the composite using green solvents for spin-coating and printing.
• Evaluating mechanical, electrical, and self-healing properties under various conditions.

Main Results:

• Achieved autonomous room-temperature healing of scratches, cuts, and punctures without external stimuli.
• Demonstrated high conductivity (~15 S cm⁻¹), excellent stretchability (>650%), and mechanical integrity.
• Confirmed mechanical reuse and chemical recycling over 15 cycles with >90% strength retention and full conductivity recovery.
• Fabricated printed electronic tattoos and electrodes for high-fidelity ECG recordings.

Conclusions:

• Developed a sustainable and versatile self-healing conductor platform.
• The material demonstrates significant advancements in durability and recyclability for bioelectronic devices.
• Enables practical pathways toward next-generation, resilient bioelectronic materials.