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Chitosan-based double cross-linked ionic hydrogels as a strain and pressure sensor with broad strain-range and high
Xuemei Li1, Zhiwei Liu1, Yongri Liang1
1State Key Lab of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, and College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, P. R. China. liangyr@ysu.edu.cn.
Journal of Materials Chemistry. B
|April 11, 2022
Summary
A novel conductive hydrogel, P(AAm-co-AA)/CS-Fe3+, was developed with enhanced mechanical properties and self-recovery. This advanced material shows high strain sensitivity, enabling effective detection of human movements for flexible sensor applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Biomaterials Engineering
Background:
- Developing advanced hydrogels with superior mechanical properties and conductivity is crucial for flexible electronic applications.
- Chitosan (CS) and poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) [P(AAm-co-AA)] offer biocompatibility and tunable properties.
- Incorporating ferric ions (Fe3+) can enhance hydrogel network stability and conductivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate a novel conductive hydrogel, P(AAm-co-AA)/CS-Fe3+, with enhanced mechanical strength and self-recovery.
- To investigate the structure-property relationships of the double cross-linked hydrogel network.
- To evaluate the potential of the hydrogel as a sensitive flexible sensor for detecting human movements.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of P(AAm-co-AA)/CS-Fe3+ hydrogel via one-step UV-initiated polymerization and Fe3+ coordination.
- Characterization of hydrogel mechanical properties, including tensile strength, toughness, strain recovery, and hysteresis.
- Evaluation of the hydrogel's performance as a strain sensor, measuring gauge factor (GF) and sensitivity to human motion.
Main Results:
- The P(AAm-co-AA)/CS-Fe3+ hydrogel exhibited excellent mechanical properties: up to 550 kPa strength, 800% strain range, rapid self-recovery in 30 min, and low hysteresis (<100%).
- The conductive hydrogel demonstrated high strain sensitivity with a gauge factor (GF) of 6.6 at 700% strain.
- The material successfully detected subtle human movements, including finger bending and vocal cord vibrations.
Conclusions:
- The P(AAm-co-AA)/CS-Fe3+ hydrogel, with its double cross-linked network, offers a promising platform for high-performance flexible sensors.
- The synergistic combination of polymer chains and Fe3+ coordination leads to exceptional mechanical robustness and conductivity.
- This conductive hydrogel holds significant potential for wearable electronics and human motion monitoring applications.
