Tremella polysaccharide-based conductive hydrogel with anti-freezing and self-healing ability for motion monitoring and intelligent interaction

Abstract

The application of conductive hydrogels in flexible wearable devices has garnered significant attention. In this study, a self-healing, anti-freezing, and fire-resistant hydrogel strain sensor is successfully synthesized by incorporating sustainable natural biological materials, viz. Tremella polysaccharide and silk fiber, into a polyvinyl alcohol matrix with borax cross-linking. The resulting hydrogel exhibits excellent transparency, thermoplasticity, and remarkable mechanical properties, including a notable elongation (1107.3 %) and high self-healing rate (91.11 %) within 5 min, attributed to the dynamic cross-linking effect of hydrogen bonds and borax. A strain sensor based on the prepared hydrogel sensor can be used to accurately monitor diverse human movements, while maintaining exceptional sensing stability and durability under repeated strain cycles. Additionally, a hydrogel touch component is designed that can successfully interact with intelligent electronic devices, encompassing functions like clicking, writing, and drawing. These inherent advantages make the prepared hydrogel a promising candidate for applications in human health monitoring and intelligent electronic device interaction.