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Open research questions in Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials

852 gap statements mined from Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 10,002 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • The need for data-driven models for simultaneous force estimation at multiple sensing locations. The lack of a comprehensive dataset for multi-position force sensing using optical fiber specklegrams. The requirement for a systematic evaluation protocol for specklegram-based force sensing.

    Multi-SpeckleForce: An Experimental Multimode Fiber Specklegram Dataset for Multi-Position Force Sensing · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of sustainable polymer composites with improved electrical conductivity. The need for a versatile strategy to tailor the electrical properties of polymer-based materials. The potential of carbonized polymer dots to enhance charge transport in cornstarch-based films.

    Modulation of Electrical Charge Transfer in Cornstarch-Based Films Through Carbonized Polymer Dots and Their Validation as Electrodes in Triboelectric Nanogenerators · 2026 · DOI

  • Limited reuse and recycling of cellulose-rich waste, such as waste notebook paper. Lack of efficient methods for converting waste notebook paper into high-performance biocomposite materials. Limited understanding of the effects of surface patterning on the output performance of triboelectric nanogenerators.

    Upcycling waste notebook paper into surface-patterned cellulose/PVA biocomposite films for high-performance triboelectric nanogenerators · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of specific physical findings in some types of nociplastic pain conditions. The challenge of treating these disorders due to the absence of observable tissue damage or lesions in the pain processing pathways.

    C-low threshold mechanoreceptors: a novel target for health-tech in an increasingly touch-deprived world · 2026 · DOI

  • The need to optimize the concentration of BST in the PVDF matrix to achieve the best performance. The challenge of scaling up the production of BST/PVDF composite fibers for practical applications.

    Barium strontium titanate induced β-phase enhancement in electrospun polyvinylidene difluoride composite fibers for high-efficiency flexible piezoelectric nanogenerators · 2026 · DOI

  • The development of smart agriculture is severely limited by backward agricultural sensor equipment and detection technology. The energy supply of sensors becomes a challenge due to the low conductivity and high-power consumption of graphene oxide. Wearable sensors for plants face several challenges that hinder their large-scale practical application.

    Wearable Sensors for Plants: Status and Prospects · 2025 · DOI

  • Conventional rigid electronic devices have limitations in terms of non-stretchability and poor conformability. There is a need for more effective material selection strategies to develop advanced flexible electronics. Conductive hydrogels have the potential to address these limitations and provide a solution for electronic skin and healthcare monitoring.

    Recent Advances in Conductive Hydrogels for Electronic Skin and Healthcare Monitoring · 2025 · DOI

  • Printing resolution remains a significant technical challenge. Material selection, printing resolution, biocompatibility, and long-term reliability are ongoing challenges. Challenges in material optimization and regulatory standardization.

    3D Printing Assisted Wearable and Implantable Biosensors · 2025 · DOI

  • Need for rapid prototyping, customization, and production of intricate geometries with high precision. Challenges in material optimization and regulatory standardization.

    3D Printing Assisted Wearable and Implantable Biosensors · 2025 · DOI

  • The need to optimize post-printing treatment and electrode deposition conditions. The potential for ohmic resistance in the system due to the nonconductive nature of Prussian Blue.

    Fully Inkjet-Printed Flexible Graphene–Prussian Blue Platform for Electrochemical Biosensing · 2025 · DOI

  • The lack of mechanical tunability in existing wearable sensors. The need for facile processability and high conductivity in wearable sensors. The challenge of creating a versatile sensing platform for health or athletic monitoring.

    Mechanically Tunable Composite Hydrogel for Multi-Gesture Motion Monitoring · 2025 · DOI

  • The lack of effective biosensors for mental health evaluation. The need for objective and efficient assessment of mental stress. The limitations of current methods, such as the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).

    Rapid Mental Stress Evaluation Based on Non-Invasive, Wearable Cortisol Detection with the Self-Assembly of Nanomagnetic Beads · 2025 · DOI

  • Current E-skins lack chameleon-like visual feedback capabilities. The inherent disadvantages of color elements, such as easy photobleaching, low contrast, and slow reaction, affect the stability of the sensor signal transmission.

    Optical–Electronic Skin Based on Tea Polyphenol for Dual Signal Wearable Sensing · 2025 · DOI

  • The lack of a flexible pressure sensor that can achieve a wide detection range, high sensitivity, and long-term stability. The need for a sensor that can detect minute pressure changes and maintain its performance over time.

    A Wide-Range, Highly Stable Intelligent Flexible Pressure Sensor Based on Micro-Wrinkled SWCNT/rGO-PDMS with Efficient Thermal Shrinkage · 2025 · DOI

  • Conventional double-layer microfluidic chips have limitations, including light diffusion through the porous membrane and inconsistent current density during TEER measurements. Drug adsorption and sorption properties of PDMS affect drug testing accuracy.

    Double-Layered Microphysiological System Made of Polyethylene Terephthalate with Trans-Epithelial Electrical Resistance Measurement Function for Uniform Detection Sensitivity · 2025 · DOI

  • Limited sweat volume and lack of directionality during collection. Safety concerns due to direct skin contact with wearable sweat sensors. The need for a system that can accurately detect biomarker concentrations in sweat.

    Deep Learning-Assisted Cactus-Inspired Osmosis-Enrichment Patch for Biosafety-Isolative Wearable Sweat Metabolism Assessment · 2025 · DOI

  • There are still areas for improvement in developing reliable biosensing devices to detect key inflammatory biomarkers in clinically relevant biofluids. The miniaturization of sensing/readout systems has been neglected in the field of microneedle technology.

    Non-Invasive Wearables in Inflammation Monitoring: From Biomarkers to Biosensors · 2025 · DOI

  • Limited sensitivity of conventional wearable pressure sensors. Inadequate flexibility of conventional wearable pressure sensors. Biocompatibility concerns of conventional wearable pressure sensors.

    An Ultra-Robust, Highly Compressible Silk/Silver Nanowire Sponge-Based Wearable Pressure Sensor for Health Monitoring · 2025 · DOI

  • Investigating the long-term stability of the PENG devices. Exploring the scalability of the PENG devices. Studying the effect of different BST concentrations on the performance of the PENG devices.

    Barium strontium titanate induced β-phase enhancement in electrospun polyvinylidene difluoride composite fibers for high-efficiency flexible piezoelectric nanogenerators · 2026 · DOI

  • The gap in long-term stability of materials under dynamic environments. The gap in maintaining reliable biocompatibility during prolonged skin contact. The gap in minimizing signal interference caused by motion artifacts and environmental fluctuations.

    Recent Advances in Flexible Materials for Wearable Optical Biosensors · 2025 · DOI

  • Further research on the applications of hydrogel-based multifunctional sensors, - investigation of the effects of different PEDOT:PSS contents on the mechanical properties of the hydrogel, - development of more sensitive and stable temperature…

    A Low-Cost Hydrogel Electrode for Multifunctional Sensing: Strain, Temperature, and Electrophysiology · 2025 · DOI

  • Further studies on the relationship between sweat glucose and blood glucose levels, - Development of more efficient and accurate methods for sweat collection…

    Sweat-Sensing Patches with Integrated Hydrogel Interface for Resting Sweat Collection and Multi-Information Detection · 2025 · DOI

  • Prussian Blue has an inherent flaw in its instability in neutral and alkaline media, - Prussian Blue inevitably decomposes when employed as an H2O2 reduction catalyst, - The use of Prussian Blue is limited to disposable, one-time-use…

    Fully Inkjet-Printed Flexible Graphene–Prussian Blue Platform for Electrochemical Biosensing · 2025 · DOI

  • Developing E-skins with multiple sensing capabilities, - Improving the stability of the sensor signal transmission, - Exploring new materials and methods to enhance the mechanical properties…

    Optical–Electronic Skin Based on Tea Polyphenol for Dual Signal Wearable Sensing · 2025 · DOI

  • Further research can be conducted to improve the sensor's performance in different environmental conditions, - The sensor can be integrated with other sensors to create a multi-modal sensing system, - The application of the sensor in fields such as drowning monitoring and remote traditional Chinese medicine can be…

    A Wide-Range, Highly Stable Intelligent Flexible Pressure Sensor Based on Micro-Wrinkled SWCNT/rGO-PDMS with Efficient Thermal Shrinkage · 2025 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) The lack of a comprehensive dataset for multi-position force sensing using optical fiber specklegrams (“Multi-SpeckleForce: An Experimental Multimode Fiber Specklegram Dataset for…”, 2026); (2) The lack of sustainable polymer composites with improved electrical conductivity (“Modulation of Electrical Charge Transfer in Cornstarch-Based Films Through…”, 2026); (3) Lack of efficient methods for converting waste notebook paper into high-performance biocomposite materials (“Upcycling waste notebook paper into surface-patterned cellulose/PVA…”, 2026); (4) The lack of specific physical findings in some types of nociplastic pain conditions (“C-low threshold mechanoreceptors: a novel target for health-tech in an…”, 2026); (5) There is a need for more effective material selection strategies to develop advanced flexible electronics (“Recent Advances in Conductive Hydrogels for Electronic Skin and Healthcare…”, 2025). 852 gap statements have been mined from Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 10,002 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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