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A Biomimetic Lotus Root-Inspired Dual-Network Hydrogel Wearable Strain Sensor for Human Motion and Intelligent
Peng Liu1, Yuanhang Li1, Dong An2
1School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenyang Jianzhu University, Shenyang 110168, China.
Biomacromolecules
|October 14, 2025
Summary
A novel composite hydrogel was developed for flexible strain sensing. This advanced material exhibits superior mechanical strength, self-healing, and electrical conductivity, enabling high-performance wearable electronics.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Biomaterials Engineering
Background:
- Hydrogels are versatile materials with potential applications in flexible electronics.
- Developing hydrogels with enhanced mechanical properties, self-healing capabilities, and electrical conductivity remains a challenge.
- Existing strain sensors often lack the required durability and sensitivity for widespread use in wearable devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel polyacrylamide (PAM) and sodium alginate (SA)/Cellulose/Pectin-Ca2+ (PSCP-Ca2+) composite hydrogel for strain sensing applications.
- To investigate the mechanical, self-healing, and electrical properties of the developed hydrogel.
- To evaluate the performance of the PSCP-Ca2+ hydrogel as a flexible strain sensor.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a dual-network hydrogel matrix incorporating cellulose-pectin reinforcing networks.
- Utilizing Ca2+ ions as cross-linkers and charge carriers within the composite structure.
- Characterization of mechanical properties (stress, strain, toughness), self-healing ability, and electrical conductivity.
- Testing the hydrogel as a flexible strain sensor under tensile and compressive loads to determine gauge factor, response range, and fatigue resistance.
Main Results:
- The PSCP-Ca2+ hydrogel exhibited excellent mechanical properties with 630 kPa stress, 1700% strain, and 5.8 MJ/m3 toughness.
- The hydrogel demonstrated good self-healing properties and high electrical conductivity (0.89 S/m).
- As a strain sensor, it showed high gauge factors (3.74 in tension, 6.48 in compression), a broad response range (0-1000% strain), and excellent fatigue resistance (2000+ tensile, 500+ compressive cycles).
Conclusions:
- The developed PSCP-Ca2+ composite hydrogel offers a promising platform for high-performance flexible strain sensing.
- The integration of cellulose-pectin networks significantly enhances the hydrogel's mechanical and sensing capabilities.
- This research provides valuable insights for designing advanced hydrogel sensors for smart wearable devices and intelligent transportation systems.
