Innovative evolution of buckling structures for flexible electronics

A buckling structure is a crucial element for materials used in wearable electronics by taking a topographical approach to solve a spatial constraint. This review introduces various buckling structures, with the corresponding theory and fabrication, for the latest materials or devices, including secondary batteries, supercapacitors, sensors, organic thin film transistors, polymer light-emitting diodes, and organic light emitting diodes, all of which have attracted much attention recently in journals. This review demonstrates how various buckling structures can be practically integrated into functional materials to enlarge the active area, to enhance flexibility or stretchability, and to improve unique functionality itself without loss.