Adhesive tapes: From daily necessities to flexible smart electronics

Imprinting “sticky” features on the surfaces of common non-sticky flexible materials, such as paper, textile, and polymeric films produces a myriad of adhesive tapes that we use in our daily lives. Recently, the rise of flexible electronics has harnessed the distinct adhesive behavior of adhesive tapes to achieve special scientific and engineering purposes. In this review, recent advances including the structures, properties, mechanisms, and functionalities of adhesive tapes and relevant flexible smart electronics are summarized. We provide a key focus on how the distinct adhesive behavior of adhesive tapes contributes to the redesign and engineering of flexible electronics via physical and/or chemical modifications. The applications of these flexible smart electronics enabled by adhesive tapes are widespread, including high-performance sensors, energy storage/conversion devices, medical and healthcare patches, etc. Finally, we discuss unmet needs and current challenges in the development of adhesive tape-enabled materials and techniques for flexible electronics. With ongoing material and technical innovations, adhesive tape-related electronic products are expected to revolutionize our lifestyle and lead us into the era of artificial intelligence.