Simple and Rapid Way to a Multifunctionally Conductive Hydrogel for Wearable Strain Sensors

Langmuir. 2023 Aug 1;39(30):10530-10541. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c01068. Epub 2023 Jul 17.

Abstract

Conductive hydrogels have gained increasing attention in the field of wearable smart devices. However, it remains a big challenge to develop a multifunctionally conductive hydrogel in a rapid and facile way. Herein, a conductive tannic acid-iron/poly (acrylic acid) hydrogel was synthesized within 30 s at ambient temperature by the tannic acid-iron (TA@Fe3+)-mediated dynamic catalytic system. The TA@Fe3+ dynamic redox autocatalytic pair could efficiently activate the ammonium persulfate to initiate the free-radical polymerization, allowing the gelation to occur easily and rapidly. The resulting hydrogel exhibited enhanced stretchability (3560%), conductivity (33.58 S/m), and strain sensitivity (gauge factor = 2.11). When damaged, it could be self-healed through the dynamic and reversible coordination bonds between the Fe3+ and COO- groups in the hydrogel network. Interestingly, the resulting hydrogel could act as a strain sensor to monitor various human motions including the huge movement of deformations (knuckle, wrist) and subtle motions (smiling, breathing) in real time due to its enhanced self-adhesion, good conductivity, and improved strain sensitivity. Also, the obtained hydrogel exhibited efficient electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance with an EMI shielding effectiveness value of 24.5 dB in the X-band (8.2-12.4 GHz). Additionally, it displayed antibacterial properties, with the help of the activity of TA.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents*
  • Catalysis
  • Electric Conductivity
  • Humans
  • Hydrogels*
  • Iron

Substances

  • Hydrogels
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Iron