Hydrogel‑Based Interfaces for Skin‑Conformal Wearable Electronics: Design, Sensing, Actuation, and Reliability

Hydrogel-based materials have recently emerged as a transformative platform for skin-conformal wearable electronics. Advances in soft materials, scalable fabrication, and ultra-low-power systems have enabled the migration of wearable technologies from laboratory prototypes toward practical adaptive applications. These systems now extend well beyond biomedical monitoring to include functionalities in energy harvesting, smart textiles, and environmental sensing. However, the growing diversity of these applications highlights a fundamental challenge: the performance and durability of wearable devices are strongly influenced by the interface between the electronics and the body or other soft, deformable substrates. In this context, hydrogels—owing to their high water content, tunable mechanical and electrical properties, and biocompatibility—have emerged as crucial interfacial materials.Current research has demonstrated the potential of hydrogels in enabling skin-like electronics that conform intimately to uneven and dynamic surfaces, integrating sensing, actuation, and energy functionalities within a single structure. Progress has been made toward hydrogels with enhanced ionic conductivity, mechanical resilience, and adaptive adhesion, enabling their use in multimodal sensing, haptic feedback, and energy devices. Nevertheless, significant challenges remain before hydrogel-based interfaces can achieve long-term reliability and large-scale deployment. Persistent issues include maintaining electrical and mechanical stability under repetitive deformation, mitigating dehydration and environmental degradation, and optimizing integration with rigid electronics. Addressing these challenges is crucial for transforming hydrogel interfaces from innovative materials into reliable, multifunctional components for wearable and skin-conformal systems.This Research Topic aims to advance the understanding and application of hydrogel-based interfaces in next-generation wearable electronics. It seeks research that explores design strategies, system-level integration, and experimental validation of hydrogel interfaces capable of stable performance in real-world environments. The focus is on demonstrated devices and systems where hydrogels perform functional roles as conductive, adhesive, or sensing layers. By consolidating cross-disciplinary research spanning materials science, mechanics, and device engineering, this collection aims to establish a comprehensive foundation for hydrogel-enabled wearable technologies.To gather further insights into experimentally verified, device-level approaches for skin-conformal wearable technologies, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Design of hydrogel interfaces for skin-mounted and textile-integrated electronics• Hydrogel-enabled multimodal sensing of mechanical, electrical, and chemical stimuli• Integration of hydrogels for soft actuation, adaptive feedback, or haptic systems• Hydrogel interfaces in wearable energy harvesting, storage, and self-powered devices• Interfacial strategies for improved adhesion, stability, and environmental resilience• Reliability and fatigue behavior of hydrogel interfaces under realistic wear conditionsAppendix: Acceptable contribution types include original research articles presenting fabricated devices or integrated system prototypes with quantitative performance evaluation. Review articles may also be considered if they provide critical, forward-looking perspectives on interface design, integration, or reliability aspects of wearable electronic systems. Topic editors: Dr. Kindness A Uyanga, Hong Zhao Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81344/hydrogel-based-interfaces-for-skin-conformal-wearable-electronics-design-sensing-actuation-and-reliability