Electronic skin based on cellulose/KCl/sorbitol organohydrogel

Abstract

With the increasing interests in the fields of wearable devices, it is essential yet also challenging to develop electronic skin with customized functionalities, especially for harsh conditions. Herein, by using KCl as both anti-solvent for cellulose regeneration and ionic charge carrier in the cellulose gel network, cellulose/KCl/sorbitol organohydrogel (CKS) combining transparency (over 95% at 550 nm), stretchability (235%), high conductivity (3.88 S/m), and low temperature tolerance (−51.8 °C) was prepared. The CKS based electronic skin achieved simultaneous monitoring of object contact-separation/pressure, stretching/bending and thermal variation, with excellent reliability and stability even in harsh conditions, resembling the human skin with multiply functions. The CKS based electronic skin as efficient human-machine interface was also demonstrated. Furthermore, the CKS based triboelectric nanogenerator delivered a power density of 991 mW/m2, potential as mechanical energy harvesters for wearable devices. We believe the present work will inspire the development of cellulose based skin-like materials and contribute to the comprehensive utilization of naturel polymer in the field of smart devices.