Nanomaterials-enhanced, stretchable, self-healing, temperature-tolerant and adhesive tough organohydrogels with long-term durability as flexible sensors for intelligent motion-speech recognition

• Published in: Chemical engineering journal (Lausanne, Switzerland : 1996) Switzerland : 1996), 2023-04, Vol.461, p.141905, Article 141905
• Main Authors: Qin, Tao, Li, Xukai, Yang, Anqi, Wu, Meng, Yu, Li, Zeng, Hongbo, Han, Linbo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Flexible sensor; Intelligent recognition; Organohydrogel; Self-healing; Temperature-tolerant
• ISSN: 1385-8947; 1873-3212
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2023.141905

[Display omitted] •Nanomaterials-enhanced conductive organohydrogel is facilely developed for speech/motion detection.•It integrates excellent mechanical, self-healing, adhesive, temperature-tolerant properties.•It exhibits excellent sensing reliability and a wide sensing range for monitoring different levels of human motion and vocal signals.•Its excellent mechanical and electrical properties could be retained even after being treated under harsh environment. Conductive hydrogels are flexible artificial materials that are promising for a broad range of applications such as wearable sensors for healthcare and exercise monitoring, electronic skins and soft robotics. However, conventional hydrogels are inevitably confronting several limitations on service life, long-term stability, and usability in extreme environments. Herein, a temperature-tolerant (-30 ∼ 60 °C), stretchable (3734 %), adhesive (220 kPa at porcine skin), self-healing and conductive tough organohydrogel is facilely developed through in situ free radical polymerization followed by glycol solvent replacement for flexible strain sensors. The organohydrogel-based sensor exhibits excellent reliability and a wide sensing range (5 %-1500 %) to precisely monitor human joint movements, wrist pulses, micro-expressions and vocal signals. Besides, the excellent mechanical and electrical properties of the obtained organohydrogel could be retained even after being treated under harsh environment (-30 °C for 24 hrs/60 °C for 96 hrs) or stored in ambient condition for up to 60 days. Furthermore, the organohydrogel could be integrated within a throat patch and wristband for exercise guidance based on its excellent sensing performances on both voice and postural recognitions in real time, which is envisioned to correct posture and improve the training effects of athlete. Thus, the developed organohydrogel sensor holds great promise as wearable devices for intelligent speech-motion recognition, rehabilitation training and human–computer interaction.