Advances in Printed Electronic Textiles

Overview

Journal Adv Sci (Weinh)

Specialty Biomedical Engineering

Date 2023 Nov 27

PMID 38009793

Authors

Md Rashedul Islam

Shaila Afroj

Junyi Yin

Kostya S Novoselov

Jun Chen

Nazmul Karim

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Electronic textiles (e-textiles) have emerged as a revolutionary solution for personalized healthcare, enabling the continuous collection and communication of diverse physiological parameters when seamlessly integrated with the human body. Among various methods employed to create wearable e-textiles, printing offers unparalleled flexibility and comfort, seamlessly integrating wearables into garments. This has spurred growing research interest in printed e-textiles, due to their vast design versatility, material options, fabrication techniques, and wide-ranging applications. Here, a comprehensive overview of the crucial considerations in fabricating printed e-textiles is provided, encompassing the selection of conductive materials and substrates, as well as the essential pre- and post-treatments involved. Furthermore, the diverse printing techniques and the specific requirements are discussed, highlighting the advantages and limitations of each method. Additionally, the multitude of wearable applications made possible by printed e-textiles is explored, such as their integration as various sensors, supercapacitors, and heated garments. Finally, a forward-looking perspective is provided, discussing future prospects and emerging trends in the realm of printed wearable e-textiles. As advancements in materials science, printing technologies, and design innovation continue to unfold, the transformative potential of printed e-textiles in healthcare and beyond is poised to revolutionize the way wearable technology interacts and benefits.

Citing Articles

Recent advancements in wearable sensors: integration with machine learning for human-machine interaction.

Mu G, Zhang Y, Yan Z, Yu Q, Wang Q RSC Adv. 2025; 15(10):7844-7854.

PMID: 40078976 PMC: 11897882. DOI: 10.1039/d5ra00167f.

Submersible touchless interactivity in conformable textiles enabled by highly selective overbraided magnetoresistive sensors.

Lugoda P, Oliveros-Mata E, Marasinghe K, Bhaumik R, Pretto N, Oliveira C Commun Eng. 2025; 4(1):33.

PMID: 40000762 PMC: 11861257. DOI: 10.1038/s44172-025-00373-x.

Corona Poling Enabling Gravure Printing of Electroactive Flexible PVDF-TrFE Devices.

Sico G, Montanino M, Loffredo F, Borriello C, Miscioscia R Materials (Basel). 2025; 18(1.

PMID: 39795667 PMC: 11721702. DOI: 10.3390/ma18010022.

Closed-Loop Recycling of Wearable Electronic Textiles.

Dulal M, Afroj S, Islam M, Zhang M, Yang Y, Hu H Small. 2024; 20(50):e2407207.

PMID: 39359036 PMC: 11636061. DOI: 10.1002/smll.202407207.

Exploring Sustainable Approaches for Electronic Textile Products and Prototypes.

Perera N, Shahidi A, Marasinghe K, Kaner J, Oliveira C, Wickenden R Sensors (Basel). 2024; 24(17).

PMID: 39275382 PMC: 11398222. DOI: 10.3390/s24175472.

References

Rojas-Martinez M, Mananas M, Alonso J . High-density surface EMG maps from upper-arm and forearm muscles. J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2012; 9:85. PMC: 3575258. DOI: 10.1186/1743-0003-9-85. View

Jin H, Matsuhisa N, Lee S, Abbas M, Yokota T, Someya T . Enhancing the Performance of Stretchable Conductors for E-Textiles by Controlled Ink Permeation. Adv Mater. 2017; 29(21). DOI: 10.1002/adma.201605848. View

Liu Y, Weng B, Razal J, Xu Q, Zhao C, Hou Y . High-Performance Flexible All-Solid-State Supercapacitor from Large Free-Standing Graphene-PEDOT/PSS Films. Sci Rep. 2015; 5:17045. PMC: 4653634. DOI: 10.1038/srep17045. View

Zhao Z, Richardson G, Meng Q, Zhu S, Kuan H, Ma J . PEDOT-based composites as electrode materials for supercapacitors. Nanotechnology. 2015; 27(4):042001. DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/27/4/042001. View

Ribas Manero R, Shafti A, Michael B, Grewal J, Ribas Fernandez J, Althoefer K . Wearable embroidered muscle activity sensing device for the human upper leg. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2017; 2016:6062-6065. DOI: 10.1109/EMBC.2016.7592111. View

Li Z, Gong L . Research Progress on Applications of Polyaniline (PANI) for Electrochemical Energy Storage and Conversion. Materials (Basel). 2020; 13(3). PMC: 7040733. DOI: 10.3390/ma13030548. View

Chen G, Li Y, Bick M, Chen J . Smart Textiles for Electricity Generation. Chem Rev. 2020; 120(8):3668-3720. DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.9b00821. View

Zhang Y, Wang H, Lu H, Li S, Zhang Y . Electronic fibers and textiles: Recent progress and perspective. iScience. 2021; 24(7):102716. PMC: 8258642. DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102716. View

Yoo H, Yoo J, Yan L . Wireless fabric patch sensors for wearable healthcare. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2010; 2010:5254-7. DOI: 10.1109/IEMBS.2010.5626295. View

10.

Daly R, Harrington T, Martin G, Hutchings I . Inkjet printing for pharmaceutics - A review of research and manufacturing. Int J Pharm. 2015; 494(2):554-567. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2015.03.017. View

11.

Rajala S, Schouten M, Krijnen G, Tuukkanen S . High Bending-Mode Sensitivity of Printed Piezoelectric Poly(vinylidenefluoride--trifluoroethylene) Sensors. ACS Omega. 2019; 3(7):8067-8073. PMC: 6644727. DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.8b01185. View

12.

Papaiordanidou M, Takamatsu S, Rezaei-Mazinani S, Lonjaret T, Martin A, Ismailova E . Cutaneous Recording and Stimulation of Muscles Using Organic Electronic Textiles. Adv Healthc Mater. 2016; 5(16):2001-6. DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201600299. View

13.

Chen G, Xiao X, Zhao X, Tat T, Bick M, Chen J . Electronic Textiles for Wearable Point-of-Care Systems. Chem Rev. 2021; 122(3):3259-3291. DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00502. View

14.

Hu G, Kang J, Ng L, Zhu X, Howe R, Jones C . Functional inks and printing of two-dimensional materials. Chem Soc Rev. 2018; 47(9):3265-3300. DOI: 10.1039/c8cs00084k. View

15.

Ren W, Sun Y, Zhao D, Aili A, Zhang S, Shi C . High-performance wearable thermoelectric generator with self-healing, recycling, and Lego-like reconfiguring capabilities. Sci Adv. 2021; 7(7). PMC: 7875524. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe0586. View

16.

McManus D, Vranic S, Withers F, Sanchez-Romaguera V, Macucci M, Yang H . Water-based and biocompatible 2D crystal inks for all-inkjet-printed heterostructures. Nat Nanotechnol. 2017; 12(4):343-350. DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2016.281. View

17.

Schneemann A, Dong R, Schwotzer F, Zhong H, Senkovska I, Feng X . 2D framework materials for energy applications. Chem Sci. 2021; 12(5):1600-1619. PMC: 8179301. DOI: 10.1039/d0sc05889k. View

18.

Bar-Levav E, Witman M, Einat M . Thin-Film MEMS Resistors with Enhanced Lifetime for Thermal Inkjet. Micromachines (Basel). 2020; 11(5). PMC: 7281151. DOI: 10.3390/mi11050499. View

19.

Pu S, Fu J, Liao Y, Ge L, Zhou Y, Zhang S . Promoting Energy Efficiency via a Self-Adaptive Evaporative Cooling Hydrogel. Adv Mater. 2020; 32(17):e1907307. DOI: 10.1002/adma.201907307. View

20.

Zhang H, Qiao Y, Lu Z . Fully Printed Ultraflexible Supercapacitor Supported by a Single-Textile Substrate. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2016; 8(47):32317-32323. DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b11172. View