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Updated: Aug 14, 2026
Microgel-Extracellular Matrix Composite Support for the Embedded 3D Printing of Human Neural Constructs
Published on: May 5, 2023
A multifunctional hydrogel enabled by cellulose-Zn2+ solvation structure for convolutional neural network assisted
Xiao Wang1, Yueying Wang1, Baobin Wang1
1State Key Laboratory of Green Papermaking and Resource Recycling, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, 250353, China; Key Lab of Pulp & Paper Science and Technology of Education Ministry of China, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, 250353, China.
Highly conductive and self-healing hydrogels were developed for extreme environments. These advanced hydrogels enable robust self-powered sensors and wearable electronics with high accuracy in motion recognition.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Developing self-powered sensors for extreme environments is challenging.
- Existing materials often lack the required conductivity, mechanical resilience, and self-healing properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer multifunctional hydrogels for self-powered sensors operating under harsh conditions.
- To create a cellulose-based hydrogel with enhanced conductivity, mechanical strength, and self-healing capabilities.
Main Methods:
- Synthesized Zn2+-Polyvinyl alcohol-Cellulose-Borax hydrogels (ZPCB) by regulating hydrogen bonding and employing borax crosslinking.
- Fabricated hydrogel-based triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs).
- Integrated TENGs with a convolutional neural network (CNN) for motion recognition.
Main Results:
- ZPCB hydrogels exhibited excellent stretchability (1059.5%), ionic conductivity (29.4 mS cm-1), anti-freezing (-60 °C), and self-healing (98.5%) properties.
- Hydrogel-based TENGs showed fast response (237 ms), high open circuit voltage (128 V), and power density (8 W m-2).
- The TENG-CNN system achieved 99.17% accuracy in recognizing various human motions.
Conclusions:
- The developed ZPCB hydrogels offer a robust and eco-friendly platform for next-generation self-powered sensors.
- These materials enable reliable sensing and powering of electronics in extreme environments.
- The intelligent motion recognition capability opens new avenues for wearable technology.
