Elaboration of Conductive Hydrogels by 3D Printer for the Development of Strain Sensors

The development of biocompatible, conductive hydrogels via direct ink writing (DIW) has gained increasing attention for strain sensor applications. In this work, a hydrogel matrix composed of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and κ-carrageenan (KC) was formulated and enhanced with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to impart piezoelectric properties. The ink formulation was optimized to achieve shear-thinning and thixotropic recovery behavior, ensuring printability through extrusion-based 3D printing. The resulting hydrogels exhibited high water uptake (~280-300%) and retained mechanical integrity. Rheological assessments showed that increasing PVDF content improved stiffness without compromising printability. Electrical characterization demonstrated that AgNPs were essential for generating piezoelectric signals under mechanical stress, as PVDF alone was insufficient. While AgNPs did not significantly alter the crystalline phase distribution of PVDF, they enhanced conductivity and signal responsiveness. XRD and SEM-EDX analyses confirmed the presence and uneven distribution of AgNPs within the hydrogel. The optimized ink formulation (5% PVA, 0.94% KC, 6% PVDF) enabled the successful fabrication of functional sensors, highlighting the material's strong potential for use in wearable or biomedical strain-sensing applications.