Super tough, stretchable and transparent ionic conductive hydrogel for flexible sensor with excellent temperature tolerance

• Published in: Reactive & functional polymers 2023-05, Vol.186, p.105572, Article 105572
• Main Authors: Fu, Hao, Wang, Feifei, Cao, Zheng, Liu, Lin, Zhu, Guocheng, Yao, Juming, Militky, Jiri, Wiener, Jakub
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anti-drying; Anti-freezing; Healthcare monitoring; Ionic conductive hydrogel; Toughness
• ISSN: 1381-5148
• DOI: 10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2023.105572

The construction of high performance ionic conductive hydrogel together with strength, toughness, transparency, environment tolerance, stable conductivity and response is still an urgent demand in flexible sensing field. Here, a simple and feasible strategy was proposed to produce ionic conductive hydrogels by integrating polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/silk sericin (SS) with sodium citrate (Na3Cit) in glycerol (Gl)/water solution. The synergistic action of physical cross-linked polymer networks and supra-molecular interactions enabled the resultant PVA/SS/Na3Cit/Gl hydrogels with super strong (7.56 MPa), tough (39.37 MJ/M3), stretchable (787.96%) and transparent (90%). Especially, the PVA/SS/Na3Cit/Gl hydrogels displayed excellent extreme temperature tolerance, retaining highly stretchability (> 500% strain), strong (7–12 MPa) and tough (25–52 MJ/M3) at −25 to 60 °C or 7 d storage at 30 °C. Profiting from these advantageous performances, PVA/SS/Na3Cit/Gl hydrogels could be assembled as transparent flexible sensors to quickly and precisely response human activities with a wide strain range (up to 200% strain), excellent stability and repeatability even at −25 °C or 7 d storage. In addition, PVA/SS/Na3Cit/Gl hydrogels showed cytocompatibility with good cell proliferation of Cos 7 fibroblasts within 72 h incubation. Thus, the presented PVA/SS/Na3Cit/Gl hydrogels suggested a promising prospect as reliable wearable electronics adapting to mechanical and environmental durability. [Display omitted] •Super tough, stretchable and transparent ionic conductive hydrogel was prepared by a simple and feasible strategy.•Physical crosslinked polymer networks and supramolecular interactions are synergistic.•Hydrogel has super strong of 7.56 MPa, tough of 39.37 MJ/M3, stretchable of 787.96%, and transparent of 90%.•Hydrogel displayed excellent temperature tolerance (−25 to 60 °C).•Hydrogel sensor precisely and stably response human motions at −25 °C or 7 d storage at 30 °C.