Conductive Polymers: Applications, Limitations, and Prospects in Flexible Wearable Devices

This paper focuses on the application of conductive polymer in flexible wearable devices. At the start, the importance of flexible wearable devices in daily healthcare and the strengths of flexible wearable devices over traditional wearable devices are introduced. The material to build a flexible wearable device is special; it needs to acquire High Flexibility, High Conductivity, and Biocompatibility. In this case, the paper introduces conductive polymers, and it also lists three kinds of conductive polymers that are mainly applied in flexible devices. Polystyrene Sulfonate (PEDOT: PSS), Polyaniline (PANI), and Polypyrrole (PPy). The properties and strengths of three kinds of materials are introduced, and their applications are also listed. Practical applications include PANI-based electrochemical sensors for real-time sweat pH monitoring (aiding in detecting diabetes, etc.) and PEDOT: PSS-based flexible EEG devices, which replace rigid electrodes and conductive gels to enhance comfort. The paper also mentions the drawbacks of conductive polymers and states the future development of conductive polymers.