3D Printable, Highly Stretchable, Superior Stable lonogels Based on Poly(ionic liquid) with Hyperbranched Polymers as Macro-cross-linkers for High-Performance Strain Sensors

Stretchable ionogels have recently emerged as promising soft and safe ionic conductive materials for use in wearable and stretchable electrochemical devices. However, the complex preparation process and insufficient thermomechanical stability greatly limit the precise rapid fabrication and application of stretchable ionogels. Here, we report an in situ 3D printing method for fabricating high-performance single network chemical ionogels as advanced strain sensors. The ionogels consist of a special crosslinking network constructed by poly(ionic liquid) and hyperbranched polymer (macro-cross-linkers) that exhibits high stretchability (>1000%), superior room-temperature ionic conductivity (up to 5.8 mS/cm), and excellent thermomechanical stability (-75 to 250 degrees C). The strain sensors based on ionogels have a low response time (200 ms), high sensitivity with temperature independence, longterm durability (2000 cycles), and excellent temperature tolerance (-60 to 250 degrees C) and can be used as human motion sensors. This work provides a new strategy to design highly stretchable and superior stable electronic devices.

Automated summary

Stretchable ionogels fabricated through in situ 3D printing exhibit high stretchability, superior room-temperature ionic conductivity, and excellent thermomechanical stability, making them promising for use in advanced strain sensors and electronic devices.