Intrinsically conductive polymer reinforced hydrogel with synergistic strength, toughness, and sensitivity for flexible motion-monitoring sensors

Abstract

Conductive hydrogels with remarkable flexibility and sensitivity have attracted substantial attention as a potential material for the construction philosophy of wearable electronics. Nevertheless, the development of high-performance hydrogels continues to be a significant challenge due to the inherent trade-off between conductivity and deformation adaptability. Here, a novel strategy is demonstrated for the preparation of intrinsically conductive reticulated polymer-based hydrogels (allylated hydroxyethyl cellulose-PEDOT:PSS/PAM hydrogel [AHEC-PP/PAM]) with mechanical robustness and perceptual sensitivity. The conductive reticulated component, AHEC-PP, is obtained by an ingenious polymerization involving AHEC and EDOT and demonstrates favorable dispersion and stability, with the treatment of H₂SO₄ and the charge regulation of PSS. The AHEC-PP/PAM hydrogel has a tensile strength of 0.69 MPa, a fracture strain of 1,273%, a broad sensing range, and a high gauge factor of 7.86. The synergistic performance enables integration into smart wearable electronic devices for the detection of motion signals, electronic skin, and advanced human-machine interaction.