Robust, fatigue resistant, self-healing and antifreeze ionic conductive supramolecular hydrogels for wearable flexible sensors

Abstract

Ionic conductive hydrogel-based sensors have been capturing growing attention in various areas, but still cannot satisfy the operating requirements of next generation wearable electronics. Herein, inspired by biosystems, we demonstrate ionic conductive supramolecular hydrogels with simple one-step method based on salting-out effect and multiple hydrogen bond interactions. The supramolecular hydrogels exhibit high toughness and strength, quick self-recovery, high sensitive sensing performance as well as good self-healing, fatigue and frost resistances in mechanical and sensing properties, and can monitor large and subtle movements and physiological activities of the human body sensitively, quickly and stably. Thus, it provides a convenient and promising way to obtain stretchable sensors of excellent comprehensive properties, which have tremendous application potential as wearable electronic devices in harsh environments.