Ultra-stretchable, self-adhesive, transparent, and ionic conductive organohydrogel for flexible sensor

Conductive hydrogels are an ideal bio-integrated soft material and show great potential in soft sensors. However, it remains a great challenge to develop an integrated conductive gel combining excellent environmental stability and mechanical properties. Herein, we synthesize a transparent, self-adhesive conductive organohydrogel with excellent environmental stability and UV-blocking performance by constructing multiple cross-links between tannic acid, polyacrylamide, and polyvinyl alcohol. The addition of vinyl hybrid silica nanoparticles can promote dynamic cross-linking of polymer networks and endow organohydrogels with superior mechanical performance (>1800%, 320 kPa). Concurrently, the binary solvent system comprising water and ethylene glycol enables organohydrogels to accommodate different application environments (from -40 degrees C to 40 degrees C). Notably, with the incorporation of tannic acid, organohydrogels exhibit lasting and repeatable adhesion (80 kPa), as well as good UV-blocking (>90%). Furthermore, these conductive organohydrogels with great strain sensitivity were used as strain sensors to monitor and distinguish large movements (soft robot movements) and subtle human movements (smiling and electrocardiograph signal) at different temperatures. The conductive organohydrogels have great potential in healthcare monitoring and smart wearable soft electronic devices.

Automated summary

The study successfully synthesized a conductive organohydrogel with excellent environmental stability and mechanical properties, showing great potential in soft sensors. The addition of vinyl hybrid silica nanoparticles and the use of a binary solvent system improved the mechanical performance, adhesion, and UV-blocking capabilities of the organohydrogels.