Next-generation biomedical interfaces, including wearable sensors, implantable electronics, and patient-specific therapeutic systems, require skin-like elastomers that combine softness, stretchability, and conformal adaptability with clinical and environmental viability. Here, we report a supramolecular gelatin elastomer formed via glycerol-mediated hydrogen bonding, which reorganizes the molecular network into a non-crystalline, reprocessable matrix that supports in situ shaping and mild-condition processing. The elastomer exhibits tunable mechanical properties, thermal plasticity, and recyclability, while maintaining ambient stability. Incorporation of functional nanofillers, including silica, hydroxyapatite, bioactive glass, and halloysite nanotubes, further enhances mechanical robustness and interfacial compatibility, enabling customized structural designs and functional performance. Leveraging these tunable mechanical and interfacial properties, the gelatin elastomer also enables integration of conductive components for adaptive and in situ processable biomedical interfaces. As a proof of concept, the elastomer incorporates carbon nanotubes and NaCl to achieve high electrical conductivity and high-fidelity signal acquisition, enabling stable recording of electrocardiogram (ECG), electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, and compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) in humans. This work establishes a reprocessable, sustainable, and human-evaluated elastomer platform that bridges natural polymer chemistry with functional device performance, advancing the clinical translation of soft bioelectronic and therapeutic interfaces.
Hao et al. (Tue,) studied this question.