3D printed trichome-inspired permeable bioadhesive for wearable bioelectronics.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Bioelectronics
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Wearable bioelectronics require skin adhesion but face challenges with sweat accumulation.
• Conventional porous materials limit device versatility and breathability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a sweat-removable skin sticker (SRSS) with enhanced breathability for wearable bioelectronics.
• To maintain robust skin adhesion and functional versatility through a novel channel architecture.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of SRSS using a hybrid process involving direct ink writing (DIW).
• Creation of a hierarchical trichome-inspired microchannel architecture for rapid sweat removal.
• Integration of multi-level ribs design for optimized water removal.

Main Results:

• SRSS demonstrated a water removal rate of 25.6 ml/cm²/min, significantly exceeding human sweat secretion rates.
• The channel-based adhesive interface design is compatible with attached wearable bioelectronics, like temperature sensors.
• Achieved rapid sweat removal, reducing accumulation and enhancing user comfort.

Conclusions:

• The developed SRSS offers a structurally engineered, permeable bioadhesive interface for advanced wearable bioelectronics.
• This innovation addresses the critical challenge of sweat management in skin-adherent devices.
• The trichome-inspired design provides a versatile solution for improving the performance and wearability of bioelectronic systems.