Conducting polymers in wearable devices

The biocompatibility of conducting polymer has seen remarkable advancement in numerous biomedical applications. The tuneable electrical property expressed by doping and de-doping of the polymer has contributed to electrical controlled film in terms of volume and conductivity. Also, higher sensitivity specially for ionic molecules brings forward new prospective in bio/sensing. Meanwhile, wearable devices for healthcare monitoring are becoming more prominent due to remote, real-time and continuous monitoring. The flexible and stretchable property of organic electronic, in this paper represented by conducting polymer, as compared to rigid, conventional conductor unleashes high potential of conducting polymer as platform for wearable sensing device. In this review, properties of conducting polymers adopted in wearable devices focusing on on-skin sensing are elaborated. The contribution of conducting polymers in various sensing targets, mainly categorized by chemical, tactile and electrophysiological is discussed, followed by types of the wearable sensors. Overall, our aim was to lay broader understanding of incorporation of the polymer within wearable sensing devices.