Highly water-retaining conductive hydrogels based on multi-crosslinked networks for ultrasensitive sensing platform

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Hydrogels are vital in electrochemical sensors but suffer from environmental sensitivity affecting conductivity.
• Improving hydrogel water retention is key to stable conductivity and reliable sensor performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design a novel composite hydrogel with enhanced water retention and stable conductivity.
• To develop a stable hydrogel-based electrochemical sensor for analyte quantification.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a polyacrylamide/bacterial cellulose/sulfobetaine methacrylate/sodium alginate (PBSS) composite hydrogel.
• Evaluation of hydrogel water retention and conductivity stability under various conditions.
• Development of a CaCO3 sphere-based immunoprobe for electrochemical sensing.

Main Results:

• The PBSS hydrogel demonstrated 1.5 times better water retention than standard polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogel.
• PBSS hydrogel maintained 86% conductivity after 12h at 60°C, while PAM lost 47%.
• The developed sensor showed excellent analytical performance and stability for four days at 37°C.

Conclusions:

• The novel PBSS hydrogel offers superior water retention and conductivity stability.
• This composite hydrogel provides a promising platform for developing robust electrochemical sensors.
• The enhanced stability makes PBSS hydrogels suitable for demanding clinical applications.