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 soft, sticky patch that conforms to the skin could lead to better heart monitor electrodes and find use in tattoo-like sensors

A new take on adhesives inspired by sticky gecko feet has led to soft, stretchy silicone patches that conduct electricity and cling fast to skin, even when underwater (ACS Nano2016, DOI:10.1021/acsnano.6b01355). The material could be used as comfortable, low-cost, reusable electrocardiography (ECG) electrodes for heart monitoring. Today’s disposable silver-based ECG electrodes have rigid metal parts and use glues that can irritate the skin. They can come off when wet or from too much movement, limiting a user’s ability to shower or exercise during longer periods of monitoring.

The new material could also be “crucially important in next-generation skinlike technologies for wearable electronics,” says John A. Rogers, a materials science professor at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, who was not involved in the work. Rogers and others are developing conformabletattoolike sensorsto monitor fitness and various health conditions. The new material could make such devices more durable while doubling as an electrode.