Recent development on the design, preparation, and application of stretchable conductors for flexible energy harvest and storage devices

The intensifying energy crisis has made it urgent to develop robust and reliable next-generation energy systems. Except for conventional large-scale energy sources, the imperceptible and randomly distributed energy embedded in daily life awaits comprehensive exploration and utilization. Harnessing the latent energy has the potential to facilitate the further evolution of soft energy systems. Compared with rigid energy devices, flexible energy devices are more convenient and suitable for harvesting and storing energy from dynamic and complex structures such as human skin. Stretchable conductors that are capable of withstanding strain (>> 1%) while sustaining stable conductive pathways are prerequisites for realizing flexible electronic energy devices. Therefore, understanding the characteristics of these conductors and evaluating the feasibility of their fabrication strategies are particularly critical. In this review, various preparation methods for stretchable conductors are carefully classified and analyzed. Furthermore, recent progress in the application of energy harvesting and storage based on these conductors is discussed in detail. Finally, the challenges and promising opportunities in the development of stretchable conductors and integrated flexible energy devices are highlighted, seeking to inspire their future research directions.