Tailoring Biopolymers for Electronic Skins: Materials Design and Applications

Abstract The past few years have witnessed the rapid exploration of natural and synthetic materials to construct electronic skins (e‐skins) to emulate the multisensory functions of human skins driven by promising applications. Among various materials employed in functional e‐skins, biopolymers are particularly notable for their exceptional biocompatibility and abundant resources. Despite remarkable progress in engineering biopolymeric materials, a timely and holistic review focusing on the design, synthesis, and modification of biopolymers tailored for biopolymers‐derived e‐skins (Bp‐E‐Skins) is lacking. In this review, the key attributes of biopolymers are introduced to establish a fundamental understanding fordeveloping functional Bp‐E‐Skins. Next, the recent progress in harnessing various natural and synthetic biopolymers as building blocks for constructing Bp‐E‐Skins is systematically discussed, providing insights into maximizing the distinctive attributes of biopolymers. Subsequently, the benefits of nature‐inspired Bp‐E‐Skins achieved through heterogeneous composite and structural engineering are highlighted, infusing fresh momentum into the advancement of e‐skins. Then, the promising applications of Bp‐E‐Skins in multisensory functions are summarized, including both local monitoring and remote teleoperation, as well as sustainable energy harvesting that empowers e‐skins. Finally, the remaining fundamental and technical challenges in advancing Bp‐E‐Skins are presented to provoke future designs that emulate and even go beyond human skins.