E‐Textiles in Biomedicine: Real Time Sensing, Energy Storage, and Therapeutic Applications

ABSTRACT Electronic textiles represent a transformation in wearable biomedicine by integrating sensing, actuation, data communication, and therapeutic delivery into lightweight and deformable fabric. Recent advancements in conductive polymers, carbon nanomaterials, and natural fiber composites have significantly enhanced the strain sensitivity, mechanical durability, and long‐term biocompatibility of e‐textiles. This review synthesizes the current state of the art in e‐textile materials and addresses three core research questions: fabrication technologies and materials, sensing mechanisms, and energy harvesting and storage systems. Hybrid materials incorporating PEDOT: PSS‐coated polyurethane, graphene‐silver composites with sheet resistance, silk‐polypyrrole hydrogels, and ZnO‐patterned piezoelectric structures demonstrate tunable conductivity, exceptional stretchability, and multi‐responsive properties. Multimodal sensing technologies, such as capacitive, resistive, bioimpedance, piezoelectric, tribioelectric, and optical, enable real‐time monitoring of cardiovascular, respiratory, neuromuscular, and biochemical markers. Self‐healing ionogel fibers with a dynamic covalent network and a degradable thermoset provide durability and sustainability. Further, integrating an energy system comprising supercapacitors, triboelectric nanogenerators, and piezoelectric fibers eliminates the need for batteries. Closed‐loop therapeutic systems autonomously modulate treatment based on biosensor feedback, including glucose‐responsive drug delivery and electroactive wound healing. Challenges remain in long‐term reliability, standardization, and large‐scale manufacturability. This review identifies future directions encompassing artificial intelligence integration, biodegradable materials, and multi‐modal sensor fusion to advance clinical translation of e‐textile platforms for personalized, preventive, and decentralized healthcare.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Materials Interfaces
Published
2025-12-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.202500672
Primary Topic
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

E‐Textiles in Biomedicine: Real Time Sensing, Energy Storage, and Therapeutic Applications

Penny P. Govender, Atheesha Singh, Krishna K. Govender, Shiva Sharma et al.
Advanced Materials Interfaces
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
article

E‐Textiles in Biomedicine: Real Time Sensing, Energy Storage, and Therapeutic Applications

Penny P. Govender, Atheesha Singh, Krishna K. Govender, Shiva Sharma, Sudheesh K. Shukla
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT Electronic textiles represent a transformation in wearable biomedicine by integrating sensing, actuation, data communication, and therapeutic delivery into lightweight and deformable fabric. Recent advancements in conductive polymers, carbon nanomaterials, and natural fiber composites have significantly enhanced the strain sensitivity, mechanical durability, and long‐term biocompatibility of e‐textiles. This review synthesizes the current state of the art in e‐textile materials and addresses three core research questions: fabrication technologies and materials, sensing mechanisms, and energy harvesting and storage systems. Hybrid materials incorporating PEDOT: PSS‐coated polyurethane, graphene‐silver composites with sheet resistance, silk‐polypyrrole hydrogels, and ZnO‐patterned piezoelectric structures demonstrate tunable conductivity, exceptional stretchability, and multi‐responsive properties. Multimodal sensing technologies, such as capacitive, resistive, bioimpedance, piezoelectric, tribioelectric, and optical, enable real‐time monitoring of cardiovascular, respiratory, neuromuscular, and biochemical markers. Self‐healing ionogel fibers with a dynamic covalent network and a degradable thermoset provide durability and sustainability. Further, integrating an energy system comprising supercapacitors, triboelectric nanogenerators, and piezoelectric fibers eliminates the need for batteries. Closed‐loop therapeutic systems autonomously modulate treatment based on biosensor feedback, including glucose‐responsive drug delivery and electroactive wound healing. Challenges remain in long‐term reliability, standardization, and large‐scale manufacturability. This review identifies future directions encompassing artificial intelligence integration, biodegradable materials, and multi‐modal sensor fusion to advance clinical translation of e‐textile platforms for personalized, preventive, and decentralized healthcare.

Advanced Materials InterfacesVol. 13(1)
University of Johannesburg (ZA), Graphic Era University (IN)
University of Johannesburg
Openalex Percentile: Top 63%
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.