Heterostructure Engineering of Solution-Processable Semiconductors for Wearable Optoelectronics

Abstract

Wearable and implantable optoelectronics, including light-emitting diodes (LEDs), photovoltaics (PVs), and photodetectors (PDs), have recently gained great interest for their potential applications in wearable technology, the Internet of things (IoT), and personalized healthcare. The development of optoelectronics with superior mechanical deformability (i.e., stretchability) is highly desired, as such devices can be worn seamlessly on the body, enabling noninvasive, continuous, and accurate real-time health monitoring using light. However, conventional optoelectronics build on inorganic semiconductors with high rigidity and brittleness. The lack of mechanical deformability impedes the reliable acquisition of biosignals during the motion of the human body, hindering the biomedical application of optoelectronics. Innovative design for intrinsically stretchable optoelectronics is thus urgently needed. This Spotlight identifies strategies and advances in intrinsically stretchable optoelectronics. We focus on heterostructure engineering, which can effectively impart softness in solution-processable optoelectronic semiconductors, including organic semiconductors (OSCs), colloidal quantum dots (CQDs), and metal halide perovskites (MHPs). Lastly, we propose a roadmap for future stretchable optoelectronics research toward its practical application in healthcare, renewable energy, soft robotics, and beyond.