Robust accurate fatigue assessment enabled by an ultrasoft and super-adhesive low-impedance conducting polymer hydrogel

IF 13.3 1区工程技术 Q1 ENGINEERING, CHEMICAL

Chemical Engineering Journal Pub Date : 2025-03-03 DOI:10.1016/j.cej.2025.161207

Qi Liu, Xinye Xu, Yuqian Zhang, Lishan Liang, Bin Zhang, Shuai Chen

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The evaluation of muscle fatigue is vital for the prevention and diagnosis of diseases, medical treatment planning, and tracking rehabilitation outcomes. Surface electromyography (sEMG) signals, which mirror the activity of muscles, are commonly captured using skin-mounted electrodes to assess fatigue levels. Nevertheless, conventional epidermal electrodes usually fall short in terms of adhesion and compliance, impairing their capacity to seamlessly conform to the skin and accommodate its dynamic movements, thereby compromising the precision of muscle fatigue assessments. Herein, we introduce a plasticized template and synergistic doping strategy to fabricate the PAA/PEDOT:PSS/LS (PAPL) hydrogel, where a polyacrylic acid (PAA) network serves as a dynamic scaffold for PEDOT:PSS and sodium lignosulfonate (LS) as a plasticizer and secondary dopant. The PAPL hydrogel, characterized by its ultrasoft nature (Young’s modulus ≈ 0.76 kPa), high conductivity (5.52 S m⁻¹), strong adhesion (171 kPa on PET), and ultralow interface impedance (<1 kΩ) ensuring robust, seamless conformal adhesion along with reliable sEMG signals (SNR ≈ 30 dB) during movements. Furthermore, the PAPL hydrogel exhibits outstanding self-healing capabilities, remarkable ultraviolet resistance, and potent antibacterial properties, enabling it to fulfill diverse functional requirements in real-world applications. PAPL hydrogel is capable of monitoring muscle activity and providing accurate fatigue assessment, with performance markedly superior to that of commercial electrodes, demonstrating its application potential in personalized medicine and future healthcare systems

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来源期刊

Chemical Engineering Journal 工程技术-工程：化工

CiteScore

21.70

自引率

9.30%

发文量

6781

审稿时长

2.4 months

期刊介绍： The Chemical Engineering Journal is an international research journal that invites contributions of original and novel fundamental research. It aims to provide an international platform for presenting original fundamental research, interpretative reviews, and discussions on new developments in chemical engineering. The journal welcomes papers that describe novel theory and its practical application, as well as those that demonstrate the transfer of techniques from other disciplines. It also welcomes reports on carefully conducted experimental work that is soundly interpreted. The main focus of the journal is on original and rigorous research results that have broad significance. The Catalysis section within the Chemical Engineering Journal focuses specifically on Experimental and Theoretical studies in the fields of heterogeneous catalysis, molecular catalysis, and biocatalysis. These studies have industrial impact on various sectors such as chemicals, energy, materials, foods, healthcare, and environmental protection.