All‐Polyimide‐Mediated Liquid Metal Assembly on Aerogels for Breathable and Robust Electronic Skins

ABSTRACT Constructing breathable electronic skins (E‐skins) that maintain high electrical performance remains a formidable challenge due to the difficulty of establishing robust conductive networks on fragile porous substrates. To address this issue, a robust bio‐interface based on an ultralight polyimide aerogel that combines high vapor permeability (1700 g m − 2 day − 1 ) with intrinsic hydrophobicity (>123°) is developed. Leveraging the superior thermal stability (up to 460°C), a liquid metal particle ink encapsulated by polyamic acid shell is activated through mild thermal treatment at 140°C. The resulting imidization‐induced contraction generates compressive stress to rupture insulating oxide layers and achieve a high electrical conductivity of 8.17 × 10 5 S m − 1 . This architecture employs an isotropic open‐cell framework that confines the ink to the surface while maintaining interconnected three‐dimensional (3D) pathways for lateral gas transport, thereby ensuring sustained breathability regardless of conductive layer coverage. Strong interfacial bonding through chemical coordination and mechanical interlocking enables negligible resistance variation over 200 000 deformation cycles and reliable underwater functionality. These synergistic advantages support diverse applications including conformal Joule heating, magnetic field sensing, and high‐fidelity electrophysiological monitoring during intense motion, establishing a versatile platform for next‐generation wearable healthcare.

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Materials
Published
2026-06-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.73751
Primary Topic
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

All‐Polyimide‐Mediated Liquid Metal Assembly on Aerogels for Breathable and Robust Electronic Skins

Tianxi X. Liu, Yidong Peng, Jiancheng Dong, Je Hyeong Kim et al.
Advanced Materials
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
article

All‐Polyimide‐Mediated Liquid Metal Assembly on Aerogels for Breathable and Robust Electronic Skins

Tianxi X. Liu, Yidong Peng, Jiancheng Dong, Je Hyeong Kim, Hao Qiu, Yunpeng Huang, Steve Park, Haoran Liu, Yue Wang, Haijun Zhu, Kangjia Geng, Yuduo Zhang, Yongsheng Luo, Mengting Zheng, Shiyin Lin, Chang Zhou, Jiayu Hou, Xingyu Liu, Guanzheng Wu
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT Constructing breathable electronic skins (E‐skins) that maintain high electrical performance remains a formidable challenge due to the difficulty of establishing robust conductive networks on fragile porous substrates. To address this issue, a robust bio‐interface based on an ultralight polyimide aerogel that combines high vapor permeability (1700 g m − 2 day − 1 ) with intrinsic hydrophobicity (>123°) is developed. Leveraging the superior thermal stability (up to 460°C), a liquid metal particle ink encapsulated by polyamic acid shell is activated through mild thermal treatment at 140°C. The resulting imidization‐induced contraction generates compressive stress to rupture insulating oxide layers and achieve a high electrical conductivity of 8.17 × 10 5 S m − 1 . This architecture employs an isotropic open‐cell framework that confines the ink to the surface while maintaining interconnected three‐dimensional (3D) pathways for lateral gas transport, thereby ensuring sustained breathability regardless of conductive layer coverage. Strong interfacial bonding through chemical coordination and mechanical interlocking enables negligible resistance variation over 200 000 deformation cycles and reliable underwater functionality. These synergistic advantages support diverse applications including conformal Joule heating, magnetic field sensing, and high‐fidelity electrophysiological monitoring during intense motion, establishing a versatile platform for next‐generation wearable healthcare.

Advanced Materials
Jiangnan University (CN), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KR), First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (CN), Yancheng Institute of Technology (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Openalex Percentile: Top 12%
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
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