Soft, Flexible, and Stretchable Platforms for Tissue‐Interfaced Bioelectronics

Seamless integration of electronic systems with living tissues requires not only biocompatibility but also careful matching of mechanical properties across heterogeneous organs. This review clarifies the often-conflated notions of "soft," "flexible," and "stretchable" electronics, and links these definitions to a tissue-mechanics framework spanning brain, nerve, skin, myocardium, and visceral organs. Based on this framework, we outline general mechanical design principles-ultrathin structures, stretchable architectures, and bioadhesive interfaces-that enable deformable devices to conform to moving, curved surfaces. Recent advances are then organized into tissue-targeted platforms, including imperceptible skin-mounted nanosheet and nanomesh electrodes, haptic and neural interfaces for bidirectional communication, and wet-organ adhesive systems for cardiac and gastrointestinal applications. We further highlight emerging material systems such as liquid metal-based conductors and biodegradable transient electronics, which respectively extend mechanical adaptability and introduce time-programmed disappearance to reduce surgical burden. Across these topics, the review distills unifying design rules for matching modulus, adhesion, and strain tolerance to specific biological environments, positioning soft, tissue-interfaced bioelectronics as a coherent toolbox that bridges wearable, implantable, and transient formats for future healthcare technologies.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Science
Published
2026-02-03
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202521521
Primary Topic
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Soft, Flexible, and Stretchable Platforms for Tissue‐Interfaced Bioelectronics

Sunghoon Lee, Kento Yamagishi, Tomoyuki Yokota, Takao Someya
Advanced Science
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
article

Soft, Flexible, and Stretchable Platforms for Tissue‐Interfaced Bioelectronics

Sunghoon Lee, Kento Yamagishi, Tomoyuki Yokota, Takao Someya
article en

Abstract

Seamless integration of electronic systems with living tissues requires not only biocompatibility but also careful matching of mechanical properties across heterogeneous organs. This review clarifies the often-conflated notions of "soft," "flexible," and "stretchable" electronics, and links these definitions to a tissue-mechanics framework spanning brain, nerve, skin, myocardium, and visceral organs. Based on this framework, we outline general mechanical design principles-ultrathin structures, stretchable architectures, and bioadhesive interfaces-that enable deformable devices to conform to moving, curved surfaces. Recent advances are then organized into tissue-targeted platforms, including imperceptible skin-mounted nanosheet and nanomesh electrodes, haptic and neural interfaces for bidirectional communication, and wet-organ adhesive systems for cardiac and gastrointestinal applications. We further highlight emerging material systems such as liquid metal-based conductors and biodegradable transient electronics, which respectively extend mechanical adaptability and introduce time-programmed disappearance to reduce surgical burden. Across these topics, the review distills unifying design rules for matching modulus, adhesion, and strain tolerance to specific biological environments, positioning soft, tissue-interfaced bioelectronics as a coherent toolbox that bridges wearable, implantable, and transient formats for future healthcare technologies.

Advanced ScienceVol. 13(13)
Wako University (JP), Bunkyo University (JP), RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (JP), The University of Tokyo (JP)
Openalex Percentile: Top 69%
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.