Flexible Magnetoelectric Nanomaterials for Healthcare Devices: A Minireview

Abstract

Magnetoelectric (ME) nanomaterials are materials that generate an electric field under an applied DC or AC magnetic field. Their unique ability for this ME conversion endows them significant potential in energy harvesting, storage, healthcare, and other domains. However, the mechanical mismatch between traditional rigid ME nanomaterials and soft biological tissues has posed considerable challenges. Flexible wearable devices, renowned for their excellent conformability to biological tissues, find wide applications in fields such as health monitoring and wireless communication. Hence, integrating ME nanomaterials with flexible wearable devices emerges as a crucial endeavor. Yet, there remains a dearth of comprehensive reviews in the realm of flexible ME nanomaterials. This review provides an overview of the latest achievements in flexible ME nanomaterials utilized in healthcare, encompassing their brief history, underlying principles, materials employed, applications, and prospects for future development.