A 3.55-µm Ultrathin, Skin-Like Mechanoresponsive, Compliant, and Seamless Ionic Conductive Electrode for Epidermal Electrophysiological Signal Acquisition and Human-Machine Interaction

Abstract

Flexible ionic conductive electrodes, as a fundamental component for electrical signal transmission, play a crucial role in skin-surface electronic devices. Developing a skin-seamlessly electrode that can effectively capture long-term, artifact-free, and high-quality electrophysiological signals remains a challenge. Herein, we report an ultra-thin and dry electrode consisting of deep eutectic solvent (DES) and zwitterions (CEAB), which exhibit significantly lower reactance and noise in both static and dynamic monitoring compared to standard Ag/AgCl gel electrodes. Our electrodes have skin-like mechanical properties (strain-rigidity relationship and flexibility), outstanding adhesion, and high electrical conductivity. Consequently, they excel in consistently capturing high-quality epidermal biopotential signals, such as the electrocardiogram (ECG), electromyogram (EMG), and electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. Furthermore, we demonstrate the promising potential of the electrodes in clinical applications by effectively distinguishing aberrant EEG signals associated with depressive patients. Meanwhile, through the integration of CEAB electrodes with digital processing and advanced algorithms, valid gesture control of artificial limbs based on EMG signals is achieved, highlighting its capacity to significantly enhance human-machine interaction.

Keywords

skin-like electrode / artifact-free / ultrathin / gesture recognition / depression detection

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2025 The Author(s). Exploration published by Henan University and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.