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Four-Dimensional Printing of Stimuli-Responsive Hydrogel-Based Soft Robots
Published on: January 13, 2023
Robust Stitching Interface and Deep Learning Empowered Hydrogel Human-Machine Interface
Hao Dong1, Yiming Luo1, Chuanliu Liu1
1State Key Laboratory of Bio-based Fiber Materials, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Multivariate Identification for Port Hazardous Chemical Substances, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brine Chemical Engineering and Resource Eco-Utilization, College of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China.
Abstract:
Mechanical mismatch and weak interfacial adhesion between hydrogels and encapsulation layers, particularly polyethylene terephthalate (PET), remain the primary cause of signal distortion in dynamic sensing applications. We address this through a molecular design strategy that exploits synergistic carboxylate anion-quaternary ammonium interactions to simultaneously strengthen the hydrogel-PET interface and the bulk hydrogel network. The strategy operates through two coupled mechanisms. Fe3 + ions bridge the -COO- groups of sodium acrylate with the electronegative -C═O groups of PET, converting a mechanically mismatched contact into a chemically bonded interface that suppresses interfacial slippage under dynamic loading. Concurrently, electrostatic cross-linking within the polyacrylamide network reinforces bulk mechanical integrity. The resulting MA2.5D1GF hydrogel delivers a 9.2-fold increase in adhesion strength to PET and a 2.6-fold improvement in tensile stress at break relative to the unfunctionalized control-demonstrating that interfacial and bulk reinforcement are achieved within the same molecular architecture rather than as competing trade-offs. Integrated with deep learning signal processing, the stable hydrogel-PET interface enables consistent signal acquisition and reliable human-machine interaction under prolonged dynamic operation-establishing a molecularly programmable adhesion strategy with direct applicability to smart interface and wearable sensing platforms.
