Integration of high strength, resilience and stretchability into the nanocomposite hydrogel sensor for a wide working range detection and underwater sensing

Abstract

Hydrogel sensors have drawn tremendous attention due to the combination of stretchability, biocompatibility, and convenient production. The integration of high mechanical strength, stretchability and a wide working range towards various application environment is still a great challenge. Herein, both the tough and highly stretchable hydrogel sensor was developed and showed large working range and good sensing capability towards various deformation and underwater motions. The hydrogel was constructed by the polymerization of acrylic acid, acrylamide and N, N-dimethyl acrylamide, and crosslinked by the zirconium hydroxide. The obtained hydrogel exhibits high mechanical strength (∼1.5 MPa), strain (∼1400%) with good toughness (∼12 MJ/m−3), recovery properties and high elasticity (G’∼23 KPa) which was beneficial for the stable sensing performance. It also showed high sensitivity in a wide working range (0–1300%), and exhibited stretching-dependent resistance signal monitoring capability on large, small, cyclic deformations, and various human motions (wrist, finger bending and swallowing). Moreover, it can detect various motions underwater, even monitor the pulse beating for healthcare in the liquid environment. This hydrogel with these comprehensive mechanical and sensing performances has great potential in the fields of artificial intelligence and electric skins, and further applied in the aquatic environment.