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Comprehensive Summary: In vivo monitoring of bioelectrical and biochemical signals with implanted electrodes has received great interest over the past decades. However, this faces huge challenges because of the severe mechanical mismatch between conventional rigid electrodes and soft biological tissues. In recent years, the emergence of flexible and stretchable electrodes offers seamless and conformable biological‐electronic interfaces and has demonstrated significant advantages for in vivo electrochemical and electrophysiological monitoring. This review first summarizes the strategies for electrode fabrication from the point of substrate and conductive materials. Next, recent progress in electrode functionalization for improved performance is presented. Then, the advances of flexible and stretchable electrodes in exploring bioelectrical and biochemical signals are introduced. Finally, we present some challenges and perspectives ranging from electrode fabrication to application. Key Scientists: In 2001, a seminal work by Kipke et al. first showed flexible polyimide‐based intracortical electrode arrays.[1] This electrode was further expanded to 252‐channel using microelectromechanical systems technology by Stieglitz et al. in 2009 and achieved large‐scale cortical recordings.[2] Later, Lieber et al. created mesh electronics that allow for seamless and minimally invasive three‐dimensional interpenetration with nerve tissues, opening up unique applications for flexible electronics.[3] Subsequently, Rogers et al. described bioresorbable electronics for transient electrical activity recordings in 2016.[4] And Frank et al. proposed polymer electrode arrays capable of resolving single neurons in 2019.[5] It wasn't until 2020 that a significant breakthrough in biochemical signals monitoring by Peng et al. demonstrated functionalized carbon nanotube fibre bundles for multiple disease biomarkers monitoring.[6] Later on, Mooney et al. established the first fully viscoelastic electrode arrays for neural recordings from the brain and heart in 2021.[7] Recently, Bao et al. presented tissue‐mimicking, stretchable neurotransmitter interfaces for monitoring the brain and gut.[8] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Electrochemical sensing faces huge challenges in characterizing the transient release of biochemical molecules from deformed cells, due to the severely mechanical mismatch between rigid electrodes and soft cells. In recent years, the emergence of stretchable electrochemical sensors has made a breakthrough by complying with the deformation of living cells and simultaneous monitoring of mechanically evoked biochemical signals. This review first summarizes two fundamental strategies for the fabrication of stretchable electrodes from the points of structure and material. Next, recent progresses in construction of functionalized interface to improve the performance of stretchable electrochemical sensors are presented. Then, the application of stretchable electrochemical sensors in real‐time monitoring of biomolecules released by mechanically sensitive cells is introduced. Finally, some perspectives and challenges of stretchable electrochemical sensors regarding cell detection are discussed. What is the favorite and original chemistry developed in your research group? The design and construction of electrochemical sensing platform for real‐time monitoring of life activities. What is the most important personality for scientific research? Innovative spirit, strong curiosity and persistence. How do you supervise your students? Encourage students to think much and eager to innovate. What are your hobbies? I like music and playing badminton. Who influences you mostly in your life? My family and collaborators. Could you please give us some advices on improving Chinese Journal of Chemistry? Focusing on the originality of the manuscript. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Electrochemical sensing faces huge challenges in characterizing the transient release of biochemical molecules from deformed cells, due to the severely mechanical mismatch between rigid electrodes and soft cells. In recent years, the emergence of stretchable electrochemical sensors has made a breakthrough by complying with the deformation of living cells and simultaneous monitoring of mechanically evoked biochemical signals. This review first summarizes two fundamental strategies for the fabrication of stretchable electrodes from the points of structure and material. Next, recent progresses in construction of functionalized interface to improve the performance of stretchable electrochemical sensors are presented. Then, the application of stretchable electrochemical sensors in real‐time monitoring of biomolecules released by mechanically sensitive cells is introduced. Finally, some perspectives and challenges of stretchable electrochemical sensors regarding cell detection are discussed. What is the favorite and original chemistry developed in your research group? The design and construction of electrochemical sensing platform for real‐time monitoring of life activities. What is the most important personality for scientific research? Innovative spirit, strong curiosity and persistence. How do you supervise your students? Encourage students to think much and eager to innovate. What are your hobbies? I like music and playing badminton. Who influences you mostly in your life? My family and collaborators. Could you please give us some advices on improving Chinese Journal of Chemistry? Focusing on the originality of the manuscript. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: In vivo monitoring of bioelectrical and biochemical signals with implanted electrodes has received great interest over the past decades. However, this faces huge challenges because of the severe mechanical mismatch between conventional rigid electrodes and soft biological tissues. In recent years, the emergence of flexible and stretchable electrodes offers seamless and conformable biological‐electronic interfaces and has demonstrated significant advantages for in vivo electrochemical and electrophysiological monitoring. This review first summarizes the strategies for electrode fabrication from the point of substrate and conductive materials. Next, recent progress in electrode functionalization for improved performance is presented. Then, the advances of flexible and stretchable electrodes in exploring bioelectrical and biochemical signals are introduced. Finally, we present some challenges and perspectives ranging from electrode fabrication to application. Key Scientists: In 2001, a seminal work by Kipke et al. first showed flexible polyimide‐based intracortical electrode arrays.[1] This electrode was further expanded to 252‐channel using microelectromechanical systems technology by Stieglitz et al. in 2009 and achieved large‐scale cortical recordings.[2] Later, Lieber et al. created mesh electronics that allow for seamless and minimally invasive three‐dimensional interpenetration with nerve tissues, opening up unique applications for flexible electronics.[3] Subsequently, Rogers et al. described bioresorbable electronics for transient electrical activity recordings in 2016.[4] And Frank et al. proposed polymer electrode arrays capable of resolving single neurons in 2019.[5] It wasn't until 2020 that a significant breakthrough in biochemical signals monitoring by Peng et al. demonstrated functionalized carbon nanotube fibre bundles for multiple disease biomarkers monitoring.[6] Later on, Mooney et al. established the first fully viscoelastic electrode arrays for neural recordings from the brain and heart in 2021.[7] Recently, Bao et al. presented tissue‐mimicking, stretchable neurotransmitter interfaces for monitoring the brain and gut.[8] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many cells in vivo have their inherent motions, which involve numerous biochemical and biophysical signals synergistically regulating cell behavior and function. However, existing methods offer little information about the concurrently chemical and physical responses of dynamically pulsing cells. Here, we report a soft electrode with an electrospun poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)-based nanomesh to fully comply with spontaneous motions of cells. Moreover, this electrode demonstrated excellent electrical conductivity, electrochemical performance and cellular biocompatibility. Cardiomyocytes cultured thereon exhibited autonomous and rhythmic contractility, and synchronously induced mechanical deformation of the underlying electrode, which allowed real-time monitoring of nitric oxide release and electrophysiological activity of cardiomyocytes. This work provides a promising way toward recording chemical and electrical signals of biological systems with their natural motions., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The current strategies for nanoelectrode functionalization usually involve sophisticated modification procedures, uncontrollable and unstable modifier assembly, as well as a limited variety of modifiers. To address this issue, we propose a versatile strategy for large-scale synthesis of biomimetic molecular catalysts (BMCs) modified nanowires (NWs) to construct functionalized electrochemical nanosensors. This design protocol employs an easy, controllable and stable assembly of diverse BMCs-poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) composites on conductive NWs. The intrinsic catalytic activity of BMCs combined with outstanding electron transfer ability of conductive polymer enables the nanosensors to sensitively and selectively detect various biomolecules. Further application of sulfonated cobalt phthalocyanine functionalized nanosensors achieves real-time electrochemical monitoring of intracellular glutathione levels and its redox homeostasis in single living cells for the first time., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)