Hybrid Liquid Metal/Ionic Nanocomposite Transparent Electrodes for Highly Stretchable Electroluminescent Matrix Displays

Abstract Emerging intrinsically stretchable electroluminescent displays have the potential to transform future smart wearables by seamlessly integrating light‐emitting capabilities with mechanical deformability. A significant challenge in constructing these devices is the lack of compliant transparent electrodes that possess excellent optoelectronic properties. This study presents a design concept for hybrid transparent electrodes that consist of liquid metal frames surrounding transparent ionic nanocomposite fluids. This electrode harnesses the highly conductive liquid metal component, achieving a low sheet resistance of just a few ohms even under extreme uniaxial and biaxial deformations. The central emitting region boasts an impressive optical transmittance of 96.6% at 465 nm thanks to the ionic nanocomposite. As a result, the overall optical transmittance of the entire electrode remains at 81.6% at 465 nm, even when including the opaque liquid metal frame. Stretchable matrix displays have been fabricated through a scalable process, demonstrating uniform luminous intensity, excellent deformability, and exceptional durability. This device can be bent, twisted, stretched, and conformed to curved surfaces, rendering it suitable for diverse applications. The hybrid transparent electrode developed here represents a promising design of mixed electron and ion conductors for advancing stretchable optoelectronic devices.