Merkel cell-inspired skin-like hybrid hydrogels for wearable health monitoring

Abstract

High-performance strain/pressure sensors are receiving much attention in soft robotics, motion detection and healthcare. Inspired by the sensing function of Merkel cells, bionic skin-like strain/pressure sensors with great elasticity (1500 %), low hysteresis (7.1 %), low pressure detection limit (0.508 Pa), high sensitivity (14.117 kPa−1) and excellent cycling performance (4000 cycles) were designed, benefiting from the excellent skin-like properties of polyacrylamide/gelatin/MXene hybrid hydrogels with rich porous dual networks and micro-cylinder arrays patterned on the surface of hydrogel. Particularly, the hydrogel sensors exhibited resistance–capacitance dual response signals, and the basic understanding of this phenomenon was proposed through a simplified circuit model and finite element method analysis. Furthermore, to mimic the regionalization of Merkel cells in the skin, a multiplexed sensing array was implemented and then successfully applied in the field of wireless wearable health monitoring, providing a promising strategy for the development of smart personalized healthcare.