Interface interaction-mediated design of tough and conductive MXene-composited polymer hydrogel with high stretchability and low hysteresis for high-performance multiple sensing

Abstract

Conductive hydrogels based on two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials, MXene, have emerged as promising materials for flexible wearable sensors. In these applications, the integration of high toughness, ultrastretchability, low hysteresis, self-adhesiveness, and multiple sensory functions into one gel is essential. However, serious issues, such as easy restacking and inevitable oxidation of MXene nanosheets in aqueous media and weak interfacial bindings between MXene and the gel network, make it almost impossible to achieve the multiple performances mentioned above. Here we present a conductive MXene-composited polymer (MCP) hydrogel by incorporating gelatin-modified MXene into polyacrylamide (PAAm) hydrogel for the fabrication of multifunctional sensors. The presence of gelatin not only greatly improves the stability of the MXene nanosheets by forming a protective sheath, but also largely enhances the interfacial interactions between the MXene and the hydrogel network as molecular glues. Thus, the MCP hydrogel exhibits a high strength (430 kPa), remarkable stretchability (1100%), low hysteresis (<10% at 500% cyclic tensile), and excellent repeatable adhesion. The resultant MCP hydrogel-based versatile sensors display a high strain sensitivity with a broad working range (gauge factor (GF) = 8.83, up to 1000%), realizing the detection of various human motions. Moreover, the prepared sensors possess superior thermosensitive capacities (1.110/°C) for the measurement of body temperature. This strategy opens horizons to designing high-performance MXene-based hydrogels for advanced sensing platforms.