A Microfiber-Reinforced Janus Hydrogel E-Skin With Recyclable Feature for Multimodal Sensing and Gender-Specific...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Wearable Technology

Background:

• Hydrogel-based wearable electronics are promising for physiological monitoring.
• Challenges include achieving ultrathin form factors, mechanical robustness, multimodal sensing, and long-term stability, especially for privacy-sensitive applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an advanced hydrogel e-skin for high-precision physiological monitoring.
• To address the limitations of current wearable electronics in terms of thinness, strength, sensitivity, and stability.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a gelatin hydrogel e-skin reinforced with polyurethane (PU) microfibers, inspired by dragonfly wings.
• Incorporation of a deep eutectic solvents (DES)-induced ion-electron dual-conducting system to enhance conductivity and flexibility.
• Utilizing a controlled binary heterogeneous structure for asymmetric adhesion and skin conformability.
• Employing finite element design for multimodal signal decoupling.

Main Results:

• The developed e-skin exhibits ultra-thinness (7.15 µm), high strength (55.62 MJ m⁻³), and high sensitivity (GF = 2.52, TCR = 3.5%°C⁻¹).
• The DES system improved conductivity by 13 times and enhanced flexibility, boosting overall sensing performance.
• The sensor demonstrated biocompatibility, antibacterial properties, transparency, freeze resistance, and recyclability.
• Enabled high-precision continuous monitoring and multimodal signal decoupling.

Conclusions:

• The novel hydrogel e-skin offers an intelligent solution for high-precision monitoring in precision and personalized healthcare.
• Its unique properties enable non-invasive, at-home tracking of sensitive physiological signals during pregnancy and erectile function.
• This work advances the development of wearable electronics for sensitive health monitoring applications.