Carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogels for flexible electronics: From design to applications

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-based hydrogels are sustainable materials for flexible electronics.
• They offer renewable origin, biocompatibility, and tunable properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• Review material design strategies and applications of CMC hydrogel-based flexible sensors.
• Analyze structure-property-application relationships.
• Explore CMC hydrogels for next-generation flexible electronics.

Main Methods:

• Examined CMC molecular features for chemical modifications and network formation.
• Investigated advanced fabrication approaches like dual-network and multi-modal crosslinking.
• Analyzed synergistic combinations of non-covalent and covalent interactions.

Main Results:

• CMC hydrogels exhibit enhanced mechanical robustness, self-healing, and environmental adaptability.
• Demonstrated remarkable sensing capabilities in physical, chemical, and biological domains.
• Enabled high-performance, skin-conformal electronic devices.

Conclusions:

• CMC hydrogels are versatile platforms for advanced flexible sensors.
• Their unique properties facilitate intelligent, multifunctional sensing systems.
• Poised to significantly advance next-generation flexible electronics.