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Updated: May 15, 2026
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Fabrication and Characterization of a Conformal Skin-like Electronic System for Quantitative, Cutaneous Wound Management
Published on: September 2, 2015
Antibacterial and Multiresponsive Electronic Skins from Silk Fibroin Triple-Network Hydrogels
Yuxiang Yao1, Huiyi Pan1, Shi Liu2
1Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Bio-Based Health Functional Fiber Materials, College of Material and Textile Engineering, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 341001, China.
Biomacromolecules
|May 13, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a novel silk fibroin ionic hydrogel with enhanced mechanical strength and antibacterial properties. This advanced material enables dual-mode sensing for flexible bioelectronics and intelligent wound care applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biomedical Engineering
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Silk fibroin (SF) is a promising biocompatible material for flexible bioelectronics.
- Limitations of SF include poor mechanical robustness, lack of antibacterial properties, and unstable electrical performance.
- These limitations hinder the widespread application of SF in advanced bioelectronic devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer a novel triple-network ionic hydrogel based on SF with improved properties.
- To enhance mechanical strength, antibacterial efficacy, and electrical stability of SF-based materials.
- To explore the potential of the developed hydrogel for dual-mode sensing applications in bioelectronics.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a triple-network hydrogel using methacrylated SF (SFMA), SilMA, and METAC.
- Characterization of the hydrogel's mechanical properties, swelling behavior, and antibacterial activity.
- Evaluation of the hydrogel as a resistive iontronic e-skin for pressure and pH sensing.
Main Results:
- The SFMA/SilMA/METAC (SSM) hydrogel demonstrated significantly enhanced mechanical properties and suppressed swelling.
- Achieved >99% antibacterial efficacy against *E. coli* and *S. aureus* with excellent cytocompatibility.
- The SSM hydrogel exhibited high pressure sensitivity (2.14 kPa-1), rapid response (6 ms), and stable performance over 1500 cycles.
- Demonstrated reversible pH sensing (pH 4.00-9.18) with a sensitivity of 21 pH-1, enabling dual-mode sensing.
Conclusions:
- The developed SSM hydrogel overcomes the limitations of traditional SF for flexible bioelectronics.
- The material shows great potential for intelligent wound care and implantable bioelectronic interfaces.
- This work presents the first SF-based ionic hydrogel capable of dual-mode pressure and pH sensing.