In situ generated bubble-mediated porous ionically conductive hydrogels for hydrogel-based electronics
Ping Wu1, Xufei An1, Bohui Zheng1
1Institute for Interdisciplinary and Innovation Research, School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Xi'an Technological University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, China.
Materials Horizons
|October 29, 2025
Summary
Porous ionically conductive hydrogels (ICHs) enhance flexible electronics. Bubble-mediated pore creation boosts pressure sensor sensitivity and supercapacitor performance, offering a new pathway for hydrogel device improvement.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Polymer Science
Background:
- Ionically conductive hydrogels (ICHs) are vital for flexible electronics.
- Current ICHs face limitations in mechanoelectrical and electrochemical performance.
- Developing novel hydrogel structures is crucial for advanced device applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create bubble-mediated porous ICHs for improved device performance.
- To investigate the effect of pore structure on sensor sensitivity and supercapacitor efficiency.
- To establish a new method for structural regulation in hydrogel-based devices.
Main Methods:
- Generating CO2 bubbles via acid-base reactions within a PVA/PAANa pre-gel solution.
- Utilizing bubble templating and cyclic freezing-thawing to form physically cross-linked porous ICHs.
- Regulating pore structure by controlling acid-base reactant concentrations.
Main Results:
- Achieved a 10-fold increase in capacitive pressure sensor sensitivity due to high-specific-area pores.
- Demonstrated stable charge-discharge performance over 30,000 cycles with high coulombic efficiency in zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitors.
- Successfully correlated bubble orientation with porous channel formation in ICHs.
Conclusions:
- Bubble-mediated pore formation is an effective strategy to enhance ICH properties.
- Porous ICHs significantly improve the performance of pressure sensors and zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitors.
- This method offers a novel approach for designing high-performance hydrogel-based electronic devices.
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