Stretchable conductive fibers: Design, properties and applications

Abstract

Stretchable conductive fibers (SCFs) are emerging materials that combine the advantages of both fibers and stretchable electronics, with broad applications in various electronic devices. Owing to their excellent stretchability, compliance, conductivity, and integratability, SCFs have drawn considerable attention from both academia and industry. Despite the emerging research enthusiasm in this field, the intrinsic correlation between the design and application of SCFs has not been explicitly stated, which severely hinders their further development. In this review, we establish an internal connection between the design and application for the first time by elaborately analyzing the key properties of the SCFs, aiming to provide comprehensive guidance for the application-oriented design. First, the design of structures, conductive materials, and preparation methods, which determine the mechanical and electrical properties of the SCFs, is summarized in detail. Then, the key properties of SCFs as well as their relationship with design and applications are analyzed. Next, several representative applications of SCFs that possess high dependency on the key properties are described. Finally, a brief discussion is presented on the current challenges and the vision for future development directions of SCFs. We believe this review will broadly benefit scientists, engineers, and postgraduates in the areas of functional fibrous materials research.