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Highly Strong, Tough, and Cryogenically Adaptive Hydrogel Ionic Conductors via Coordination Interactions
Zhuomin Wang1,2, Siheng Wang1, Lei Zhang1
1Institute of Chemical Industry of Forestry Products, Key Laboratory of Biomass Energy and Material, Jiangsu Province; Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering of Forest Products, National Forestry and Grassland Administration; National Engineering Research Center of Low-Carbon Processing and Utilization of Forest Biomass; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Nanjing 210042, China.
This study introduces a novel poly(acrylic acid)/cellulose hydrogel ionic conductor that overcomes previous limitations. The new material exhibits superior mechanical strength, electrical conductivity, and cold-temperature performance for electronic skin applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Biomaterials
Background:
- Existing polymeric conductive hydrogels face challenges in mechanical, electrical, and cryoadaptive properties.
- Current functional improvement strategies often lead to compromises, limiting applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a versatile hydrogel ionic conductor with enhanced mechanical, electrical, and cryoadaptive properties.
- To create a material suitable for self-powered electronic skin (e-skin) applications in various temperature conditions.
Main Methods:
- A facile preparation strategy combining acrylic acid and salt-dissolved cellulose.
- Utilizing zinc ions for coordination interactions between polymers and free solute salts for conductivity and anti-freezing.
- Characterization of mechanical properties (compressive strength, tensile strength, stretchability, toughness, fracture energy) and ionic conductivity at different temperatures.
Main Results:
- The poly(acrylic acid)/cellulose (PAA/Cel) hydrogel achieved excellent mechanical properties: 42.5 MPa compressive strength, 1.6 MPa tensile strength, 896.9% stretchability, 9.2 MJ m-3 toughness, and 59.5 kJ m-2 fracture energy.
- High ionic conductivity was maintained across temperatures: 13.9 mS cm-1 at 25 °C and 6.2 mS cm-1 at -70 °C.
- The hydrogel was successfully assembled into a self-powered e-skin for robust movement and physiological signal monitoring in cold environments.
Conclusions:
- The developed PAA/Cel hydrogel ionic conductor offers a promising solution for high-performance materials in extreme conditions.
- The material's unique properties enable advanced e-skin applications, demonstrating potential beyond current limitations.
- This all-in-one strategy advances the field of flexible and conformable hydrogel ionic conductors.
