Scalable and Degradable Dextrin-Based Elastomers for Wearable Touch Sensing

• Published in: ACS applied materials & interfaces 2023-01, Vol.15 (3), p.4398-4407
• Main Authors: Lan, Xiaohong, Li, Wenjian, Ye, Chongnan, Boetje, Laura, Pelras, Théophile, Silvianti, Fitrilia, Chen, Qi, Pei, Yutao, Loos, Katja
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applications of Polymer, Composite, and Coating Materials
• ISSN: 1944-8244; 1944-8252
• DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c15634

Elastomer-based wearables can improve people’s lives; however, frictional wear caused by manipulation may pose significant concerns regarding their durability and sustainability. To address the aforementioned issue, a new class of advanced scalable supersoft elastic transparent material (ASSETm) is reported, which offers a unique combination of scalability (20 g scale), stretchability (up to 235%), and enzymatic degradability (up to 65% in 30 days). The key feature of our design is to render native dextrin hydrophobic, which turns it into a macroinitiator for bulk ring-opening polymerization. Based on ASSETm, a self-powered touch sensor (ASSETm–TS) for touch sensing and non-contact approaching detection, possessing excellent electrical potential (up to 65 V) and rapid response time (60 ms), is fabricated. This work is a step toward developing sustainable soft electronic systems, and ASSETm’s tunability enables further improvement of electrical outputs, enhancing human-interactive applications.