Biocompatible Collagen/Liquid Metal/Carbon Nanotube Hydrogel for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding in Bioelectronics

The rapid advancement of implantable bioelectronics and wireless medical devices has made electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding a critical challenge, particularly for ensuring signal stability in cardiac pacemakers, neural implants, and biosensors. However, achieving stable EMI shielding without compromising biocompatibility remains a significant hurdle in these applications. In this study, we address this challenge by developing a superstretchable, biocompatible hydrogel through in situ polymerization of fish-scale-derived collagen (COL) with a liquid metal-carbon nanotube (LM-CNT) composite, achieving exceptional EMI shielding performance. Here, we present a fish-scale-derived collagen hydrogel integrated with an LM-CNT network, which simultaneously achieves exceptional EMI shielding effectiveness (56.33 dB in X-band), ultrahigh stretchability (2230%), and high conductivity (50.75 S/m). The unique three-dimensional LM-CNT architecture enables efficient electromagnetic dissipation, while the natural collagen matrix ensures full biocompatibility─critical for applications in cardiac pacemakers and neural interfaces. This combination of performance and biosafety positions the material as a versatile solution for next-generation bioelectronic shielding.