3D conductive materials such as polymers and hydrogels that interface between biology and electronics are actively being researched for the fabrication of bioelectronic devices. In this work, short-time (5 s) photopolymerizable conductive inks based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT):polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) dispersed in an aqueous matrix formed by a vinyl resin, poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) with different molecular weights (M n = 250, 575, and 700 Da), ethylene glycol (EG), and a photoinitiator have been optimized. These inks can be processed by Digital Light 3D Printing (DLP) leading to flexible and shape-defined conductive hydrogels and dry conductive PEDOTs, whose printability resolution increases with PEGDA molecular weight. Besides, the printed conductive PEDOT-based hydrogels are able to swell in water, exhibiting soft mechanical properties (Young's modulus of ∼3 MPa) similar to those of skin tissues and good conductivity values (10-2 S cm-1) for biosensing. Finally, the printed conductive hydrogels were tested as bioelectrodes for human electrocardiography (ECG) and electromyography (EMG) recordings, showing a long-term activity, up to 2 weeks, and enhanced detection signals compared to commercial Ag/AgCl medical electrodes for health monitoring.
© 2022 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.