Soft and Strong: Elastic Conductors with Bio-Inspired Self-Protection.

ABSTRACT: Skin is soft yet strong - a combination achieved by integrating compliant elastin with stiff but wavy collagen, producing non-linear mechanical properties. Inspired by this structure, stiff conductive wires are engineered into sinusoidal patterns and mechanically interlocked them with highly elastic fibers using a reimagined woven fabric approach. The result is a highly conducting and stretchable yarn that also has high tensile strength - a combination that is attractive for wearable applications where comfort and durability are valued. With a diameter of ≈1 mm-comparable to many commercial yarns-the fabric-based yarn exhibits low stiffness across a broad strain range (up to 270% under 2 N of force) while demonstrating a self-protective transition to high stiffness and strength (up to 30 M

SUBMITTER: Zhang C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12810613 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature