Synergistic mastery: Advancing mechanical and electrical harmony in conducting polymer hydrogel bioelectronics

IF 18 1区医学 Q1 ENGINEERING, BIOMEDICAL

Bioactive Materials Pub Date : 2025-06-11 DOI:10.1016/j.bioactmat.2025.06.015

Ting Wang , Jiajun Liu , Yuli Zhao , Yuan Lu

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Conducting polymer hydrogels offer promising electrical interfaces with biological tissues for electrophysiological signal recording, sensing, and stimulation due to their favorable electrical properties, biocompatibility, and stability. Among them, Poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): Polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) is widely used as a conductive filler, forming a network of conjugated nanofibers within the hydrogel matrix. This structure enables robust electronic conductivity while preserving ionic transport and biocompatibility in physiological environments. However, the mechanical integrity of these hydrogels is often compromised by micellar microstructures in aqueous colloidal dispersions. The absence of interconnected conducting polymer nanofibers to maintain mechanical integrity during swelling hinders the mechanical properties of hydrogels. Here, three modification strategies were explored to enhance the flexibility and stretchability: constructing an interpenetrating network, phase separation induced by ionic compounds, and pure conductive hydrogels formed through polar solvent additives and dry-annealing. These strategies synergistically enhance conductivity and flexibility by controlling interchain entanglement and redesigning the distribution of conjugated crystal regions and soft regions. The resulting hydrogels exhibit excellent conductivity (1.99–5.25 S/m), softness (elastic modulus as low as 280 Pa), and elasticity (tensile properties up to 800 %). When used as epidermal or implantable bioelectrodes, they provided a soft interface, ensuring longer-lasting and more stable electromyogram, electrocardiogram, and electroencephalogram signals compared to commercial gel electrodes, with a signal-to-noise ratio of up to 20.0 dB. Therefore, the conducting polymer hydrogels developed in this study leverage the synergy between conductivity and flexibility, paving the way for further transformative applications in bioelectronics.

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协同掌握：推进导电聚合物水凝胶生物电子学的机电和谐

导电聚合物水凝胶由于其良好的电学特性、生物相容性和稳定性，为电生理信号的记录、传感和刺激与生物组织提供了有前途的电界面。其中，聚（3,4-乙烯二氧噻吩）：聚苯乙烯磺酸盐（PEDOT:PSS）作为导电填料被广泛使用，在水凝胶基体内形成共轭纳米纤维网络。这种结构在保持离子传输和生理环境中的生物相容性的同时，使电子电导率稳定。然而，这些水凝胶的机械完整性经常受到胶束微观结构的损害。在膨胀过程中，缺乏相互连接的导电聚合物纳米纤维来保持机械完整性，这阻碍了水凝胶的机械性能。为了提高材料的柔韧性和拉伸性，研究了三种改性策略：构建互穿网络、离子化合物诱导相分离、极性溶剂添加剂和干燥退火形成纯导电水凝胶。这些策略通过控制链间纠缠和重新设计共轭晶体区和软区分布来协同提高电导率和柔韧性。所得水凝胶具有优异的导电性（1.99-5.25 S/m）、柔软性（弹性模量低至280 Pa）和弹性（拉伸性能高达800%）。当用作表皮或植入式生物电极时，它们提供了一个柔软的界面，与商业凝胶电极相比，确保更持久和更稳定的肌电、心电图和脑电图信号，信噪比高达20.0 dB。因此，本研究开发的导电聚合物水凝胶利用了导电性和柔韧性之间的协同作用，为生物电子学的进一步变革性应用铺平了道路。

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来源期刊

Bioactive Materials Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology-Biotechnology

CiteScore

28.00

自引率

6.30%

发文量

436

审稿时长

20 days

期刊介绍： Bioactive Materials is a peer-reviewed research publication that focuses on advancements in bioactive materials. The journal accepts research papers, reviews, and rapid communications in the field of next-generation biomaterials that interact with cells, tissues, and organs in various living organisms. The primary goal of Bioactive Materials is to promote the science and engineering of biomaterials that exhibit adaptiveness to the biological environment. These materials are specifically designed to stimulate or direct appropriate cell and tissue responses or regulate interactions with microorganisms. The journal covers a wide range of bioactive materials, including those that are engineered or designed in terms of their physical form (e.g. particulate, fiber), topology (e.g. porosity, surface roughness), or dimensions (ranging from macro to nano-scales). Contributions are sought from the following categories of bioactive materials: Bioactive metals and alloys Bioactive inorganics: ceramics, glasses, and carbon-based materials Bioactive polymers and gels Bioactive materials derived from natural sources Bioactive composites These materials find applications in human and veterinary medicine, such as implants, tissue engineering scaffolds, cell/drug/gene carriers, as well as imaging and sensing devices.