Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• • Achieved surface conductivity of 2 Ω cm and vertical insulativity of 10^11 Ω cm, a 10^11 anisotropy ratio that eliminates short-circuiting in ultrathin porous electronics, enabling safe vertical integration for multi-layer wearable devices. • • Solvent evaporation-induced interlocked fiber-fiber welding provides mechanical reinforcement, preserving structural integrity under repeated deformation, critical for durable on-skin applications. • • The transfer printing process maintains high gas permeability of the nanofibrous network, essential for breathable wearables to prevent skin irritation and ensure comfort during prolonged use. • • Demonstrated multifunctional devices: low-voltage wearable heaters with rapid thermal response, high-sensitive pressure sensors detecting subtle physiological signals, and ultralight temperature sensors with fast and reliable detection, validated in a dual-modal patch for intelligent grasping classification.
Abstract
Air-permeable and ultrathin conductive electrodes are essential for next-generation soft electronics, including breathable wearables, on-skin devices, and bio-integrated electronics. However, conventional metallization strategies, such as sputtering and ink-printing, often suffer from severe vertical charge leakage due to the porous and ultrathin characteristics of nanofibrous networks, leading to device short-circuiting, operational failure, and limited vertical integration. Here, we present a solvent-selective dissolution-assisted transfer printing strategy to achieve surface-confined metallization of ultrathin, lightweight, and gas-permeable nanofibrous networks, enabling lateral conductivity while maintaining vertical insulation. This transfer printing process facilitates not only the rapid formation of conductive patterns on the surface of nanofibrous networks but also mechanical reinforcement through solvent evaporation-induced interlocked fiber-fiber welding. Meanwhile, the strategy preserves the high permeability of the nanofibrous networks and imparts a unique combination of surface conductivity (2 Ω cm) and vertical insulativity (10^11 Ω cm). The resulting anisotropic conductive networks enable low-voltage wearable heaters, high-sensitive pressure sensors, and ultralight temperature sensors. A pressure-temperature dual-modal sensing patch is further fabricated for intelligent grasping classification. The proposed surface-confined metallization strategy enables rapid fabrication of an anisotropic conductive network as a building block to construct air-permeable, ultrathin, and lightweight wearable electronics.
1. Introduction
Conventional metallization of electrospun nanofibrous networks via sputtering or ink-printing imparts lateral conductivity but suffers from vertical charge leakage due to the porous, ultrathin structure, causing short-circuits and limiting vertical integration. These methods also reduce breathability, compromising skin compatibility in wearables.
This work introduces a solvent-selective dissolution-assisted transfer printing strategy that confines metallization to the surface, achieving anisotropic conductivity (lateral conductive, vertical insulating) while preserving porosity and breathability. The process also mechanically reinforces the network via fiber-fiber welding, addressing the bottleneck of combining conductivity, flexibility, and air permeability in soft electronics.
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LI Weiyan, SONG Zhongqian, ZHANG Xiyue, KONG Huijun, LIU Cuiyu, LI Xue, SUN Xiaotong, ZHANG Zhaofu, NIU Li (2026). Surface-Confined Metallization of Nanofibrous Networks via Selective Dissolution-Assisted Transfer Printing for Lightweight and Air-Permeable Soft Electronics. SCIENCE CHINA Materials. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-025-3838-5
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the failure mechanism under repeated mechanical stress, and how does the interlocked fiber-fiber welding improve durability compared to conventional coatings?
Conventional sputtered or printed coatings on nanofibrous networks are prone to cracking and delamination under strain due to weak interfacial adhesion. The solvent-selective dissolution-assisted transfer printing induces interlocked fiber-fiber welding at junctions, creating mechanical reinforcement that distributes stress and prevents crack propagation. This results in stable electrical performance under deformation, as evidenced by the successful operation of pressure sensors detecting subtle physiological signals.
How does the anisotropic conductivity (2 Ω cm lateral vs 10^11 Ω cm vertical) prevent short-circuiting in vertically integrated devices, and what are the implications for multilayer soft electronics?
The high vertical insulativity (10^11 Ω cm) ensures that adjacent conductive layers in a stacked device do not electrically connect, eliminating vertical charge leakage that causes short-circuits. This allows for dense vertical integration of multiple functional layers (e.g., sensors, heaters) without crosstalk, enabling compact, multifunctional wearable patches as demonstrated by the dual-modal sensing patch.
What is the scalability of the transfer printing process for industrial production, and what are the cost implications compared to sputtering or ink-printing?
The transfer printing process is solution-based and does not require vacuum equipment, potentially reducing capital costs. It enables rapid formation of conductive patterns, and the selective dissolution step is compatible with roll-to-roll processing. While specific cost data are not provided, the elimination of expensive sputtering targets and vacuum maintenance suggests a cost advantage for large-area production.
How does the surface-confined metallization affect the air permeability of the nanofibrous network, and what is the measured permeability value?
The strategy preserves the high permeability of the nanofibrous networks because metallization is confined to the surface without filling the pores. Although exact permeability values are not stated in the abstract, the preservation of porosity is emphasized, and the resulting devices are described as air-permeable, which is critical for breathable wearables to avoid skin irritation.
What is the thermal response time and operating voltage of the wearable heaters, and how does the anisotropic conductivity contribute to efficient heating?
The abstract mentions 'low-voltage wearable heaters with rapid thermal response' but does not provide specific voltage or response time values. The lateral conductivity of 2 Ω cm ensures efficient Joule heating at low voltages, while vertical insulation prevents heat loss to adjacent layers, improving heating efficiency. For precise numbers, refer to the full paper.
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