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3D Printed Porous Cellulose Nanocomposite Hydrogel Scaffolds
Published on: April 24, 2019
Deep eutectic solvent-derived quaternized cellulose nanofiber-mediated MWCNT networks for hydrogel strain sensors
Zhikun Zhang1,2, Zhonglin Sun1,2, Yaru Hu2
1State Key Laboratory for Development and Utilization of Forest Food Resources, Institute of Chemical Industry of Forest Products, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Nanjing 210042, China. liuyupeng@icifp.cn.
Chemical Communications (Cambridge, England)
|July 14, 2026
Summary
This study introduces conductive hydrogels made from quaternized cellulose nanofibers and carbon nanotubes for strain sensing. These materials offer excellent conductivity, toughness, and response times for wearable motion monitoring applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Developing advanced materials for wearable electronics is crucial.
- Conductive hydrogels offer potential for flexible and sensitive strain sensors.
- Challenges remain in achieving high performance and durability in hydrogel-based sensors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate polyacrylamide (PAM)-based conductive hydrogels using deep eutectic solvent (DES)-derived quaternized cellulose nanofibers (QCNFs) and carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs).
- To investigate the potential of these hybrid hydrogels for electrostatic assembly and strain sensing applications.
- To evaluate the conductivity, toughness, response time, and gauge factor of the developed hydrogels for wearable motion monitoring.
Main Methods:
- Electrostatic assembly of QCNFs and MWCNTs.
- Fabrication of PAM-based conductive hydrogels.
- Characterization of hydrogel properties including conductivity, toughness, and response time.
- Testing the hydrogels as strain sensors for motion monitoring.
Main Results:
- The hybrid network effectively lowered the percolation threshold.
- Achieved a conductivity of 2.75 mS cm-1.
- Demonstrated high toughness (431 kJ m-3) and a fast response time (200 ms).
- Obtained a significant gauge factor of up to 6.64 for strain sensing.
Conclusions:
- QCNF-MWCNT hybrid hydrogels are promising for wearable strain sensing.
- The electrostatic assembly method facilitates the creation of high-performance conductive hydrogels.
- These materials show potential for advanced applications in flexible electronics and motion monitoring.
