Over the years, researchers have made significant strides
in the
development of novel flexible/stretchable and conductive materials,
enabling the creation of cutting-edge electronic devices for wearable
applications. Among these, porous conductive textiles (PCTs) have
emerged as an ideal material platform for wearable electronics, owing
to their light weight, flexibility, permeability, and wearing comfort.
This Review aims to present a comprehensive overview of the progress
and state of the art of utilizing PCTs for the design and fabrication
of a wide variety of wearable electronic devices and their integrated
wearable systems. To begin with, we elucidate how PCTs revolutionize
the form factors of wearable electronics. We then discuss the preparation
strategies of PCTs, in terms of the raw materials, fabrication processes,
and key properties. Afterward, we provide detailed illustrations of
how PCTs are used as basic building blocks to design and fabricate
a wide variety of intrinsically flexible or stretchable devices, including
sensors, actuators, therapeutic devices, energy-harvesting and storage
devices, and displays. We further describe the techniques and strategies
for wearable electronic systems either by hybridizing conventional
off-the-shelf rigid electronic components with PCTs or by integrating
multiple fibrous devices made of PCTs. Subsequently, we highlight
some important wearable application scenarios in healthcare, sports
and training, converging technologies, and professional specialists.
At the end of the Review, we discuss the challenges and perspectives
on future research directions and give overall conclusions. As the
demand for more personalized and interconnected devices continues
to grow, PCT-based wearables hold immense potential to redefine the
landscape of wearable technology and reshape the way we live, work,
and play.