From Bioelectronics to Robotics: Functional Polymeric Materials for Future Interfaces

Submission Deadline: 30 December 2026 View: 36 Submit to Special Issue

Guest Editors

Presidential Assistant Professor/Dr. Changhong LINGHU

Email: clinghu@cityu.edu.hk

Affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering City University of Hong Kong

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Research Interests: Interfacial science and engineering, Smart adhesives, Mechanics of soft materials, Mechanical metamaterials

Prof. Hoon Eui Jeong

Email: hoonejeong@unist.ac.kr

Affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan; 44919, Korea, Republic of

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Research Interests: Bioinspired soft materials; Wearable devices; Soft robotics; Adhesives; Functional surfaces

Assist. Prof. Ying Jiang

Email: yjiang@um.edu.mo

Affiliation: Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao

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Research Interests: Functional composite materials; Conformal bio-electronic interfaces; Integration of soft bio-electronic hybrid systems

Dr. Jiangtao Su

Email: jiangtao001@e.ntu.edu.sg

Affiliation: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore City, Singapore

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Research Interests: Soft materials; Flexible devices; Tactile sensing; Robotics;  Advanced manufacturing

Dr. Yangchengyi Liu

Email: yangchengyi.liu@ntu.edu.sg

Affiliation: School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore City, Singapore

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Research Interests: Skin-interfaced devices; Interfacial adhesion

Summary

Functional polymeric materials are increasingly recognized as a foundational element for next-generation interfaces that connect biological systems, electronic devices, and robotic platforms. Owing to their intrinsic mechanical compliance, chemical adaptability, and broad functional tunability, polymeric materials enable stable, adaptive, and multifunctional interactions across soft, dynamic, and heterogeneous environments. This special issue aims to provide an inclusive platform for recent advances in polymer-based materials that support emerging interface technologies spanning bioelectronics, wearable systems, and robotics.

The scope of this issue encompasses the design, synthesis, processing, characterization, and application of functional polymeric materials for interfacial roles in advanced engineering and technological systems. Topics of interest range from fundamental studies on interfacial mechanics, physics, and material–interface interactions to applied research on polymers enabling stretchability, adhesion, conductivity, sensing, actuation, and environmental robustness. Contributions related to bio-integrated and implantable electronics, wearable and flexible devices, soft and hybrid robotic interfaces, and intelligent human–machine interaction systems are particularly encouraged, while broader interface-enabled applications are also welcome.

By bringing together interdisciplinary contributions from materials science, mechanics, chemistry, electronics, and robotics, this special issue seeks to illuminate emerging design strategies, establish structure–property–function relationships, and identify critical challenges and future opportunities for translating functional polymeric interfaces into practical technologies. The collection is intended to serve as a timely and comprehensive reference for researchers working on polymer-enabled interfaces across diverse application domains.

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