Highly Stretchable and Adhesive Poly (N, N‐dimethylacrylamide)/Laponite Nanocomposite Hydrogels for Wearable Sensor Devices

Abstract

AbstractAs a polymeric soft material, hydrogel is a good candidate for smart skin‐like sensors. However, in practical applications conventional, hydrogels face the challenges of mechanical properties, poor electrical conductivity and inability to adhere well to the material surface to withstand high tensile strength. Therefore, the development of multifunctional hydrogels can solve some of these technical problems. In this work, we chose the nanoclay Laponite as a cross‐linking agent and prepared poly (N, N‐dimethylacrylamide)/Laponite nanocomposite (PDMAA/Laponite NC) hydrogels with excellent tensile (0.04∼0.08 MPa), adhesion (4.3 MPa) and electrochemical properties by initiating the free radical polymerization of polymer monomers under UV light. The hydrogel network is formed by multiple physical interactions between polymer chains and clay particles, conferring the reversible adhesion ability of the gel on various substrates. Considering the ease of preparation and comprehensive high performance, our nanocomposite hydrogels may have potential applications in wearable sensors and flexible electronic devices.