Preparation and motion-sensing properties of ion/electron mixed conductive hydrogels fabricated by carbon-coated sepiolite nanofibers

Abstract

Hydrogels have experienced significant advancements owing to their versatile applications in biomedicine, wound care, food packaging, and smart devices. The pursuit of environmentally sustainable and scalable hydrogel production methods remains a primary research objective. This study introduces an innovative hydrogel fabrication technique involving the integration of surface-modified sepiolite nanofibers with polyacrylamide (PAM), resulting in the formation of sepiolite-based composite hydrogels (PASSC). These hydrogels exhibit both ionic and electronic conductivity, along with improved mechanical properties and rheological behavior. PASSC hydrogels demonstrate remarkable fatigue resistance, maintaining mechanical integrity over 10,000 stress cycles, thereby indicating their potential for long-term applications. Additionally, these hydrogels exhibit distinctive mixed conductivity, which enhances their strain sensitivity and efficacy in strain sensing. The ability of PASSC hydrogels to accurately detect a range of movements underscores their versatility and reliability in monitoring strain changes across diverse applications.