Ultra-Bright Stretchable Electroluminescent Devices at Low Driving Fields Enabled by a High-Permittivity Elastomer

Abstract As a crucial interface for human-machine interaction, displays are expected to be stretchable to keep pace with the evolution of next-generation electronics. Intrinsically stretchable alternating current electroluminescence (ACEL) devices are promising for this purpose but are plagued by high driving fields and frequencies due to low-permittivity elastomers. Herein, we incorporated polar vinylethylene carbonate into polyacrylate to boost permittivity up to an exceptional value of 19.6, and maintains high transparency (91%) and large loading capacity that are essential for high-luminance devices. Moreover, the vinylethylene carbonate simultaneously improves the stretchability of the elastomer, avoiding the undesirable rigidification typically induced by strong intermolecular interactions among polar group. The stretchable ACEL devices based on the elastomer thus achieves a record luminance of 2117.6 cd·m⁻² under a low electric field of 3.0 V·μm⁻¹ at 1 kHz, marking a breakthrough for low-field operation. The device performs effectively at a maximum elongation of up to 500% and a cyclical elongation of 200%. We further employ fluorescent electrodes to realize multi-color displays that can vividly convert sensor signals into colorful information, and demonstrate an 8×16-pixel device for dynamic display. These findings represent a considerable advancement in stretchable displays, highlighting their transformative potential for next-generation electronics.