Recently, highly conductive polymer nanocomposites, particularly soft polymer nanocomposites, have received extensive attention as promising material candidates for wearable devices. Compared with the cases of the wearable devices based on conventional rigid electronic materials, the wearable devices based on polymer nanocomposites exhibit excellent conformal contacts with the skin due to the soft mechanical properties of these nanocomposites; therefore, soft polymeric nanocomposites can be applied to stretchable wirings, electrodes, and sensor units in various on-skin electronics. The types of polymers and nanofillers used for the synthesis of these nanocomposites are critical factors determining the properties of polymer nanocomposites. The overall physical properties of nanocomposites depend on the type of polymer used, whereas the electrical properties of nanocomposites are governed by the type of nanofiller employed. Herein, we review the latest studies on the polymer nanocomposites constructed using different polymers and nanofillers that are applied to wearable devices. We have classified the polymers into non-elastic polymers, hydrogels, chemically crosslinked elastomers, and physically crosslinked elastomers and the nanofillers into C, liquid metal, Ag, Au, and other emerging nanomaterials. Detailed characteristics, fabrication methods, applications, and limitations of these nanocomposites are reviewed. Finally, a brief outlook for future research is provided.
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June 2022
Review Article|
June 01 2022
Stretchable conductive nanocomposites and their applications in wearable devices

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Special Collection:
Flexible and Smart Electronics
Chansul Park
;
Chansul Park
1
Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS)
, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
2
School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University
, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
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Min Su Kim;
Min Su Kim
1
Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS)
, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
2
School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University
, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
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Hye Hyun Kim;
Hye Hyun Kim
3
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
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Sung-Hyuk Sunwoo;
Sung-Hyuk Sunwoo
1
Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS)
, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
2
School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University
, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
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Dong Jun Jung;
Dong Jun Jung
1
Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS)
, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
2
School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University
, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
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Moon Kee Choi;
Moon Kee Choi
a)
1
Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS)
, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
3
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
4
Graduate School of Semiconductor Materials and Devices Engineering, Center for Future Semiconductor Technology (FUST), Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
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Dae-Hyeong Kim
Dae-Hyeong Kim
a)
1
Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS)
, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
2
School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University
, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
5
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University
, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
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Chansul Park
1,2
Min Su Kim
1,2
Hye Hyun Kim
3
Sung-Hyuk Sunwoo
1,2
Dong Jun Jung
1,2
Moon Kee Choi
1,3,4,a)
Dae-Hyeong Kim
1,2,5,a)
1
Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS)
, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
2
School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University
, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
3
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
4
Graduate School of Semiconductor Materials and Devices Engineering, Center for Future Semiconductor Technology (FUST), Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
5
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University
, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
Note: This paper is part of the special collection on Flexible and Smart Electronics.
Appl. Phys. Rev. 9, 021312 (2022)
Article history
Received:
March 28 2022
Accepted:
May 02 2022
Citation
Chansul Park, Min Su Kim, Hye Hyun Kim, Sung-Hyuk Sunwoo, Dong Jun Jung, Moon Kee Choi, Dae-Hyeong Kim; Stretchable conductive nanocomposites and their applications in wearable devices. Appl. Phys. Rev. 1 June 2022; 9 (2): 021312. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0093261
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