Bioinspired ultra-stretchable dual-carbon conductive functional polymer fiber materials for health monitoring, energy harvesting and self-powered sensing

An ultra-stretchable MWCNTs:SCCB/SIS (MSSS) fiber-shaped smart electronic is developed with a bioinspired bis-condensed structure. The synergistic and tunneling effect of a well-balanced dual-carbon polymer nanocomposite is studied which exhibited significant stretchability and sensitivity against deformation. In this regard, as a stretchable sensor, the MSSS fiber possesses excellent stretchability, conductivity, conductive stability, high sensitivity, a wide sensing range, and good durability. Furthermore, it can be fabricated as a fiber-based triboelectric nanogenerator, MSSS-TENG, with outstanding electric output performance. It shows promising potential in various applications, including health and physiological detection, biomechanical energy harvesting, and self-powered sensing. • Design of a fiber-based hybrid smart electronic based on bioinspired structures. • Study of a highly stretchable and conductive carbon-based polymer composite. • Exhibit ultra-stretchability, good conductivity, high sensitivity at a wide range. • Applications in health monitoring, energy harvesting, self-powered sensing. Highly stretchable and multifunctional wearable electronics have shown a desirable attraction recently. However, most fiber-based devices are hindered by the dilemma of stretchability and sensitivity, as well as the decline of performance due to delamination. Herein, a bis-condensed inspired ultra-stretchable dual-carbon fiber (MSSS fiber) is proposed based on the synergistic interaction and tunneling effect of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNTs)-superconductive carbon black (SCCB)-poly[styrene-b-isoprene-b-styrene] (SIS) conductive polymer composite (CPC) and a strong interlocked layer-by-layer structure. The MSSS fiber is developed as a strain sensor with good electric conductivity and stability, ultra-stretchability, high sensitivity (GF=1,096 at 1,100%), and good durability (10,000 at 1,000%) which shows excellent sensing for various motion applications. Simultaneously, the MSSS fiber is also exploited as a single-electrode fiber-based triboelectric nanogenerator (F-TENG) by triboelectric material coating. It demonstrates a significant output power, good durability over 25,000 cycles and stable electric output performance under high-level deformation (600%), endowing its reliability as a power source supply and self-powered sensing device. This ultra-stretchable conductive fiber further explores the development of multifunctional subtle wearable electronics. The applications of healthcare sensing and energy harvesting also give promising potential in the field of smart wearable electronics, human-computer interaction, and artificial intelligence.