Bioinspired Multifunctional Eutectogels for Skin-Like Flexible Strain Sensors with Potential Application in...

Polymerizable deep eutectic solvents (PDES) have recently emerged as a class of solvent-free ionically conductive elastomers and are considered among the most feasible candidates for next-generation ionotronic devices. However, the fundamental challenge persists in synergistically combining high mechanical strength, robust adhesion, reliable self-healing capacity, and effective antimicrobial performance within a unified material system capable of fulfilling the rigorous operational demands of next-generation ionotronic devices across multifunctional applications. Inspired by the hierarchical structure of spider silk, HCAG eutectogels composed of acrylic acid (AA), 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA), and choline chloride (ChCl) were successfully synthesized via a one-step photopolymerization method. Among the series, HCAG_0.358-1.0 exhibits favorable overall performance, including a tensile strength of 8.2 MPa, toughness of 38.8 MJ/m³, self-healing efficiency of 90.4%, visible light transmittance over 78%, and adhesion strength exceeding 260 kPa. Moreover, HCAG_0.358-1.0 demonstrates effective antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. As a proof of concept, HCAG_0.358-1.0 was utilized to fabricate a flexible e-skin strain sensor, demonstrating high sensitivity (GF up to 1.23) with a broad linear sensing range and rapid response to both strain and pressure stimuli. The synergistic properties enable effective deployment in smart sensing systems for human motion tracking and handwriting recognition. These findings may provide insights into eutectogels in the development of next-generation flexible and wearable devices.