Highly Conductive and Stretchable Hydrogel Nanocomposite Using Whiskered Gold Nanosheets for Soft Bioelectronics

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Bioelectronics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Low electrical conductivity in conductive hydrogels hinders their use in bioelectronics due to high water content.
• This water content impedes efficient carrier transport between conductive fillers within the hydrogel matrix.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a highly conductive and stretchable hydrogel nanocomposite for soft conductor applications.
• To overcome the limitations of existing conductive hydrogels for improved bioelectronic performance.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a dry network of whiskered gold nanosheets.
• Incorporation of the gold nanosheet network into wet hydrogel matrices.
• Characterization of the nanocomposite's conductivity and stretchability.

Main Results:

• The gold-hydrogel nanocomposites achieved conductivity of ≈520 S cm⁻¹ and stretchability of ≈300%.
• Optimized gold network density led to maximum conductivity of ≈3304 S cm⁻¹.
• The nanocomposite demonstrated conformal adhesion to moving organ surfaces for bioelectronic applications.

Conclusions:

• The developed gold-hydrogel nanocomposite offers superior conductivity and stretchability compared to traditional materials.
• The material's adhesive properties enable effective in vivo bioelectronic recordings and stimulations.
• This advancement paves the way for next-generation soft electronic devices in healthcare.