Dual design strategy for carboxymethyl cellulose-polyaniline composite hydrogels as super-sensitive amphibious sensors

Abstract

Conductive hydrogels as ideal candidate materials for flexible sensors have exhibited many promising applications. However, complex application environments, such as low temperatures or underwater conditions, have introduced new requirements for hydrogel sensors. Herein, a high-performance conductive hydrogel based on carboxymethyl cellulose-polyaniline (CMC-PANI) submicron spheres, poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and phytic acid (PA) was designed and fabricated via a dual design strategy. CMC-PANI particles were introduced to not only empower the good electromechanical performance to the hydrogels, but also enhance the mechanical properties. The obtained hydrogel exhibited good mechanical property, anti-freezing, anti-swellable behavior and recyclable performance. Resistive-type strain sensors assembled by the prepared hydrogels exhibited high pressure sensitivity (34.17×10−2 kPa−1) and fast response time (100 ms), which can clearly detect the pulse beats. Moreover, the hydrogel sensors can achieve long-term stability, high sensitivity and fatigue resistance as an underwater sensor. Based on these favorable performances, the conductive polymer hydrogels may open up an enticing avenue for functional soft materials in health diagnostic and electronic components.