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Published on: March 17, 2023
Conductive Hydrogel- and Organohydrogel-Based Stretchable Sensors
Zixuan Wu1, Xing Yang1, Jin Wu1
1State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies and the Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Display Material and Technology, School of Electronics and Information Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
Conductive hydrogels and organohydrogels offer promising stretchable sensor applications. Organohydrogels demonstrate superior stability and performance, with polymer network effects on ionic transport being a key sensing mechanism.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Science
- Sensor Technology
Background:
- Conductive hydrogels are crucial for stretchable/wearable sensors due to their properties like stretchability, conductivity, and biocompatibility.
- Recent progress in hydrogel and organohydrogel sensors shows potential for advanced electronics, but a systematic review is lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically summarize recent advances in hydrogel- and organohydrogel-based stretchable sensors.
- To highlight novel sensing mechanisms, properties, and applications.
- To present recent work on ultrastretchable sensors using specific hydrogel and organohydrogel formulations.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication and characterization of polyacrylamide/carrageenan double network hydrogel and modified organohydrogels.
- Investigation of sensing mechanisms for strain, temperature, humidity, and gas sensors.
- Evaluation of stability (drying and freezing tolerances) and sensing performance.
Main Results:
- Organohydrogels exhibit enhanced stability and sensing performance compared to conventional hydrogels.
- The hindering effect of polymer networks on ionic transport is identified as a key sensing mechanism across multiple sensor types.
- Ultrastretchable and high-performance sensors for strain, temperature, humidity, and gas were developed.
Conclusions:
- Hydrogel and organohydrogel-based sensors are highly promising for stretchable electronics.
- Organohydrogels offer improved stability and performance, making them advantageous for sensor applications.
- Understanding the influence of polymer networks on ionic transport is crucial for optimizing sensor design and performance.
