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High-density multimodal soft bioelectronic fibres provide a platform for minimally invasive implantable electronics, where diverse sensing and stimulation functionalities can be effectively integrated.

Flexible electronics and optoelectronics have potential applications in energy generation, biomedicine, robotics and displays. Two recent demonstrations of highly stretchable polymer LEDs suggest that commercial devices may soon become viable.

Integrating self-healing capabilities into skin-like stretchable transistors presents a persistent challenge. Here, by using a supramolecular polymer matrix, the authors develop autonomous self-healing transistors and skin-like logic circuits.

Soft conducting polymer electrodes allowing for the continuous and precise localization of a target nerve during microsurgeries led to improved post-operative prognoses after tumour-resection surgeries in rats.

Intrinsically stretchable transistors with high mobility, robustness, low-voltage operation and scalable fabrication are key for integrated circuits to advance skin-like soft electronics and to enable stable, conformal interfaces for bioelectronics, wearable technology and adaptive human–machine interfaces.

High-density, intrinsically stretchable transistors with high driving ability and integrated circuits with high operation speed and large-scale integration were enabled by a combination of innovations in materials, fabrication process design, device engineering and circuit design.

An all-elastomer strain engineering approach, which uses patterned elastomer layers with tunable stiffnesses, can be used to create intrinsically stretchable transistor arrays with a device density of 340 transistors cm^–2 and strain insensitivity of less than 5% performance variation when stretched to 100% strain.

Self-reconstruction of conducting nanostructures assisted by a dynamically crosslinked polymer network enables the fabrication of autonomous self-healable and stretchable multi-component electronic skin.

A surface functionalization approach allows for preparing a nanostructured molecular protection layer, enabling stretchable polymer electronics that stably operate in physiological environments over 80 days.

Some animals and insects can change the colour of their skin, but mimicking such function in man-made materials is complex. Here, the authors demonstrate an all-solution processed chameleon-inspired stretchable e-skin capable of interactive colour changes and tactile sensing.

NeuroString, a tissue-like biological interface created by laser patterning of polyimide into a graphene/nanoparticle network embedded in an elastomer, is introduced, allowing in vivo real-time detection of neurotransmitters in the brain and gut.

A nanomesh sensor that is directly printed on a person’s hand and is coupled with an unsupervised meta-learning framework can provide user-independent and data-efficient recognition of different hand tasks.

A stretchable anode, cathode, semiconductor and current collector have been developed to create stretchable diodes that can operate at megahertz frequencies for use in wirelessly operated, skin-like wearable electronics.

A material design strategy and fabrication process is described to produce all-polymer light-emitting diodes with high brightness, current efficiency and good mechanical stability, with applications in skin electronics and human–machine interfaces.

Next-generation skin-inspired electronics require enhanced mechanical robustness and device complexity including elasticity, solvent resistance, and facile patternability. Here, the authors show a molecular design concept that simultaneously achieves all these requirements by covalently linking an in-situ formed rubber matrix with polymer electronic materials.

Designing intrinsically stretchable semiconducting polymers with suitable charge transport and mechanical properties required for stretchable electronic devices remains a challenge. Here, the authors report terpolymer-based semiconductors with intrinsically high stretchability and mobility.

Conductive and elastic hydrogel-based microelectronic arrays with high current-injection density and low interfacial impedance with tissue enable the localized low-voltage electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve in live mice.

Metallic and semiconducting carbon nanotubes generally coexist in 'as-grown' materials. In this study, single-walled nanotubes are sorted using regioregular poly(3-alkylthiophene)s; rational selection of polymers, solvent and temperature allows the selective dispersion of semiconducting carbon nanotubes.

To realize a skin-like display for human-electronics interfaces, intrinsically stretchable light-emitting, transistor and device interconnect components are needed. Here, the authors report a fully stretchable transistor driven active-matrix organic light-emitting electrochemical cell array.

Introducing non-covalent crosslinking moieties to polymer semiconductors produces a stretchable and healable material suitable for wearable electronics.

Viscoplastic electronic devices adapt as nerves enlarge in growing animals.

Engineering of the interfacial properties between a semiconducting thin film and a stretchable substrate using tough interfacial bonding enables a notable delay in microcrack formation.

This Review Article examines the development of self-healing electronic materials and devices, explores their potential applications and discusses the challenges that exist in delivering practical systems.