Figueira Cheese‐Inspired Hierarchical Nanocomposites: Combining Ultralow Percolation and Breathability Toward Full‐Lifecycle Circular Epidermal Electronics
ABSTRACT Simultaneously achieving high electrical conductivity, mechanical compliance, and breathability remains a critical bottleneck for epidermal electronics. Conventional composites typically suffer from trade‐offs between filler loading and softness while often lacking necessary permeability or recyclability. Here, we report a sustainable phase‐separated nanocomposite mimicking the hierarchical porous texture of Figueira cheese. Our synthesis leverages distinct solvent solubility and volatility differences to orchestrate a kinetic phase separation, driving silver nanowires to self‐assemble along a porous elastomer skeleton. This architecture decouples electrical performance from mechanical constraints, exhibiting a high conductivity of 2.8 × 10 5 S m − 1 and a water vapor transmission rate exceeding 1200 g m − 2 day − 1 . Additionally, its Young's modulus of 0.45 MPa (Shore A hardness 28) ensures intimate conformity to skin. Featuring an ultralow percolation threshold of 0.00119 vol% and exceptional strain insensitivity, the nanocomposite enables stable Joule heating and electrophysiological monitoring. Crucially, the material supports efficient closed‐loop recycling, recovering both elastomer and fillers. Even after 4 life cycles, it retains over 75% conductivity and fully preserves functionality for high‐fidelity electrophysiological monitoring. This work establishes a paradigm for sustainable, high‐performance epidermal electronics.
Authors
- Yidong Peng
- Hao Qiu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2443-8328)
- Steve Park (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1428-592X)
- Yuchen Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1122-1119)
- Hailong Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4161-3108)
- Chang Zhou
- Haijun Zhu
- Guanzheng Wu
- Kangjia Geng
- Yuduo Zhang
- Yongsheng Luo
- Chuai Tian
- Jiayu Hou
- Yuyang Zhou
- Mengting Zheng
Institutions
- Jiangnan University (CN)
- Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KR)
- First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (CN)
- Yancheng Institute of Technology (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Functional Materials
- Published
- 2026-04-13
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.75377
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Yancheng Institute of Technology
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Natural Science Foundation of Henan Province