Intermolecular Cross-linking Research Articles

Robust superhydrophobic cotton fabrics based on nano-silica particles hybrid epoxy resin: self-cleaning, anti-fouling, anti-abrasion and oil–water separation

The design strategy of this study, using epoxy resin (EP) with excellent chemical/mechanical stability as a raw material, can obtain robust superhydrophobic cotton fabrics. Firstly, two different properties of nano-silica particles (nano-SiO2 microspheres and nano-SiO2 sols) were obtained by the sol–gel method. The hydrophobicity of cotton fabric can be significantly improved by hybridizing EP with nano-SiO2 particles to construct a robust rough structure of cotton fabric. At the same time, the introduction of the low surface energy substance octadecylamine, which can form intermolecular crosslinking with dodecyltrimethoxysilane and EP by hydrogen bonding, was introduced and the hydrophobicity of cotton fabric was further improved. It was concluded that these superhydrophobic cotton fabrics could withstand 10 sandpaper abrasion tests and different pH solution treatments with a certain degree of chemical/mechanical stability performance. The as-prepared cotton fabric exhibited excellent separation efficiency for dichloromethane/water mixtures. The reactive yellow SNE (200%) dye as a contaminant can be easily carried away by water droplets and has an excellent self-cleaning effect. The superhydrophobic cotton fabric that was prepared in this way repelled the stain solution and showed excellent stain resistance. The results indicated that these superhydrophobic cotton fabrics had excellent properties of self-cleaning, anti-fouling, anti-abrasion and oil–water separation. In addition, the superhydrophobic cotton fabric obtained by simple preparation has a wide range of promising applications for self-cleaning in households, industrial activities and outdoor decoration.

Amalgamated silica-glutaraldehyde based cost effective leather tanning agent and its sustainable benefits: A metal free collagen stabilisation

Presently, there is a need for development of cleaner and sustainable tanning system by introducing biocompatibility and degradability to the leather without affecting its physical properties. Particularly, tanners seek chrome-free tanning systems due to their cleaner image, market demand, and good physical properties. Amongst tanning agents, silica and its combination have been identified as a greener tanning system. In the present study, a combination tanning system based on surface modified silica and aldehyde has been developed. The main invention lies in identifying a new tanning system based on silica with an amine terminal followed by dialdehyde post treatment with an appropriate post-tanning process. Initially, the silica will stabilize the collagen fibres through multiple hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions. Later, adding aldehyde enhances the bonding between silica and collagen through multiple intermolecular crosslinking. This was further validated by the molecular interaction studies of collagen with a silica-glutaraldehyde combination system. This developed chrome-free tanning process produces leathers exhibiting reasonable thermal stability of around 90 °C with reduced chemical oxygen demand (COD) load and no chromium in the wastewater. Due to the synergistic effect of silica and aldehyde, even the tanned leather exhibited improved antimicrobial activity against gram-positive Bacillus subtilis and gram-negative Escherichia coli. One of the main benefits of this new tanning system is the lower environmental impact with an E-factor of 0.23. Sustainability indicators suggest that the tanning by silica combination found to be environmentally friendly and cost effective method as compared to conventional chrome tanning process.

Transglutaminase in Foods and Biotechnology.

Stabilization and reusability of enzyme transglutaminase (TGM) are important goals for the enzymatic process since immobilizing TGM plays an important role in different technologies and industries. TGM can be used in many applications. In the food industry, it plays a role as a protein-modifying enzyme, while, in biotechnology and pharmaceutical applications, it is used in mediated bioconjugation due to its extraordinary crosslinking ability. TGMs (EC 2.3.2.13) are enzymes that catalyze the formation of a covalent bond between a free amino group of protein-bound or peptide-bound lysine, which acts as an acyl acceptor, and the γ-carboxamide group of protein-bound or peptide-bound glutamine, which acts as an acyl donor. This results in the modification of proteins through either intramolecular or intermolecular crosslinking, which improves the use of the respective proteins significantly.

Indirect determination of partial depolymerization reactions in dialdehyde celluloses (DAC) by gel permeation chromatography of their oxime derivatives

Owing to a supposed quantitative transformation, oximation of dialdehyde cellulose (DAC) with hydroxylamine hydrochloride is commonly employed in chemical DAC analysis, e.g., for the determination of the degree of oxidation (DO) by titration or elemental analysis. In this study, this modification was utilized for the indirect determination of molecular weight distributions (MWD) by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The presumably quantitative conversion of aldehyde groups in DAC to the corresponding oxime also breaks up the intermolecular and intramolecular hemiacetal crosslinks, which were associated with solubility issues in the DMAc/LiCl solvent system in previous studies. The limits of the procedure and the material's stability during oximation were investigated. For samples with a DO up to approximately 9% a good applicability was observed, before at higher DO values residual crosslinks led to solubility problems. The oximation/GPC protocol was used to examine the development of the MWD in the early stages of DAC formation under different reaction conditions. The time-dependent partial depolymerization of the polymer backbone was observed. Furthermore, the stability of DAC towards different pH conditions ranging from strongly acidic to strongly alkaline was tested. The depolymerization of DAC in alkaline media occurred with concomitant degradation of aldehyde moieties. In turn, DAC proved to be remarkably stable in acidic and neutral solutions up to a pH of 7.

Tunable optical properties of bipyridine dithiol molecules self-assembled on gold substrate

Using density functional theory calculations, we study the effect of intermolecular cross-linking and metal ion inclusion on the electronic and optical properties of 5,5’-bis(mercaptomethyl)-2,2’-bipyridine (BPD) molecules self-assembled on gold substrate. The contribution of the molecules to the density of states of the system near the Fermi level becomes more pronounced after cross-linking due to the delocalization of the electronic states towards the molecules. Consequently, the absorption intensity in the infrared and visible ranges of the spectrum enhances after the cross-linking. The other optical parameters of the system (such as refractive index and reflectivity) is also affected by the cross-linking induced structural changes. Optical properties of self-assembled BPD molecules can further be improved by intercalating metal ions which get encapsulated between the pyridinic units of the molecules and create new absorption sites in the visible and UV ranges of the spectrum. These findings can be useful in tuning optical properties of different materials using molecular self-assembly approach.

Glutaraldehyde modification of lipases immobilized on octyl agarose beads: Roles of the support enzyme loading and chemical amination of the enzyme on the final enzyme features

Lipase B from Candida antarctica (CALB) and lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus (TLL) have been immobilized on octyl agarose at low loading and at a loading exceeding the maximum support capacity. Then, the enzymes have been treated with glutaraldehyde and inactivated at pH 7.0 in Tris-HCl, sodium phosphate and HEPES, giving different stabilities. Stabilization (depending on the buffer) of the highly loaded biocatalysts was found, very likely as a consequence of the detected intermolecular crosslinkings. This did not occur for the lowly loaded biocatalysts. Next, the enzymes were chemically aminated and then treated with glutaraldehyde. In the case of TLL, the intramolecular crosslinkings (visible by the apparent reduction of the protein size) increased enzyme stability of the lowly loaded biocatalysts, an effect that was further increased for the highly loaded biocatalysts due to intermolecular crosslinkings. Using CALB, the intramolecular crosslinkings were less intense, and the stabilization was lower, even though the intermolecular crosslinkings were quite intense for the highly loaded biocatalyst. The stabilization detected depended on the inactivation buffer. The interactions between enzyme loading and inactivating buffer on the effects of the chemical modifications suggest that the modification and inactivation studies must be performed under the target biocatalysts and conditions.

Study of thermal transitions of copolymers based on N‐isopropylacrylamide and acrylic acid with potential for curcumin controlled release

AbstractThermosensitive polymers based on poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM) have been widely evaluated in a variety of biomedical applications due to their particular thermal behavior in aqueous solutions. Despite this, few works have focused on the complementary analysis of the thermal transitions of pNIPAM polymers in linear and crosslinked form. In this work, linear and crosslinked poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐acrylic acid) p(NIPAM‐co‐AA) copolymers were synthesized at similar NIPAM/AA feed composition and their thermosensitive behavior was studied by turbidimetric methods, FTIR spectroscopy analysis, and temperature‐dependent swelling measurements. The intermolecular crosslinking hindered the hydrophobic aggregation of chain segments, leading to higher transition temperatures of synthesized polymers. AA units promoted the intersegment hydrogen bonds during heating and strengthened the hydrogen bond interactions water‐network. The effect of the thermosensitive behavior of p(NIPAM‐co‐AA) copolymer on curcumin (CUR) release kinetic was also studied. The low uptake level of p(NIPAM‐co‐AA) hydrogel, partially shrunken at 37°C, produced a CUR sustained delivery, reaching the release equilibrium state up to 18 h. Hydrogels of p(NIPAM‐co‐AA) with a suitable composition exhibited a promising performance for the CUR controlled delivery at physiological conditions.

How superheated steam treatment modifies the physicochemical, functional, nutritional, and anti-nutritional attributes: A case study on guar bean flour

Guar seed flour (GSF) is a nutritionally rich ingredient that is widely available, but antinutritional factors limit its commercial use. Considering this limitation, the present study investigated the effect of superheated steam (SHS) treatment (120–150 °C, 5–15 min) on the nutritional properties, bioactive compounds, anti-nutritional factors, thermo-pasting and structural characteristics, and in-vitro digestibility of GSF. The SHS treatment influenced the carbohydrate, protein, and fat content and improved the functional properties of GSF. Similarly, an increment in total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and a decline in total flavonoid content was observed. The maximum reduction of tannin, phytic acid, and saponin was observed in GSF samples treated at 150 °C – 15 min. The diffractogram pattern showed a decrease in crystallinity with increasing SHS temperature and duration, trypsin inhibitor activity was reduced, while the in-vitro digestibility increased. Apart from this, the SHS treatment also influenced the thermo-pasting properties of GSF, which might be due to the intermolecular interactions, cross-linking, and starch-lipid interactions. Industrial relevanceThe SHS treatment provides high energy efficiency and has the potential to be commercialized on an industrial scale in the food industry, despite its popularity in the non-food sector. The findings indicate that SHS treatment under optimal conditions improved GSF's physicochemical, functional, and digestibility properties. Furthermore, the SHS treatment was very effective at reducing anti-nutritional factors. The product developed from SHS-treated GSF has the potential to be a viable alternative for food formulations and will have a positive impact on human health.

Characterization and Mechanism of Gel Deterioration of Egg Yolk Powder during Storage.

Egg yolk forms have several health and industrial applications, but their storage characteristics and gel mechanisms have not been thoroughly studied. In order to investigate the relationship between the changes in structure and properties of egg yolk gel and egg yolk powder during storage, in this paper, egg yolk powder was stored at 37 °C for 0, 1, 3, and 6 months in an accelerated storage experiment, and the influence of storage time on the gel properties of egg yolk powder was analyzed. The results showed that the contents of protein carbonylation and sulfhydryl in the yolk decreased gradually with the extension of storage time. Circular dichroism and fluorescence spectra showed that the ordered structure and structural stability of egg yolk proteins decreased gradually. Oxidation led to the formation of intermolecular crosslinking in the egg yolk proteins and oxidized aggregates, resulting in a decrease in surface hydrophobicity, which affected the gel properties of the egg yolk powder after rehydration, resulting in the phenomenon of lipid migration and gel degradation. The results provide a theoretical basis for improving egg yolk powder's overall quality and storage stability.

Cooking mediated wheat gluten aggregation behavior: Physicochemical properties and component changes

Changes in the physicochemical properties of wheat gluten (WG) during cooking are mainly dependent on its intramolecular and intermolecular interactions when subjected to high-temperature treatment. In this study, the effects and mechanisms of cooking on the aggregation behavior of WG were investigated. Results showed that an increase in cooking time led to an initial increase and subsequent decrease in WG viscoelasticity, with optimal viscoelastic properties observed at 5 min. As cooking proceeded, covalent cross-linking of WG deepened and the contribution of hydrogen bonds to maintaining WG structure weakened, while the contribution of hydrophobic interactions strengthened. Cooking increased the proportion of gauche-gauche-gauche in the disulfide (SS) bridge conformation and decreased the homogeneity of the WG network. The unfolding of gluten molecules caused by hydrogen bonds breaking and intermolecular cross-linking through hydrophobic interactions and SS formation jointly contributing to the rheological properties of WG. Notably, glutenin (Glu) exhibited more similar physicochemical changes to WG during cooking than gliadin (Gli). Glu was more sensitive to cooking than Gli and formed dense, continuous aggregates prior to Gli. Cross-links formed by Glu occupied the majority of three-dimensional network of WG, while Gli was involved only in the form of branched chains. This may explain why Glu dominates the physicochemical changes of WG during cooking. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the thermal denaturation mechanism of WG and provides new insights into the processing of flour-based foods.

Rheology of cement–sodium silicate grout containing bentonite and cellulose ether at high temperatures

Cement–sodium silicate grout (CSG) is widely used to control water inrush disasters, and its apparent viscosity considerably impacts its water-plugging effect. However, traditional grouting materials and methods are inappropriate for high-temperature environments as high temperatures can affect the grout's viscosity. To thicken grout and increase its apparent viscosity, viscosity-modifying admixtures can be used. In this work, two types of bentonite (calcium bentonite (Ca-B) and sodium bentonite (Na-B)) and hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose (HEMC) were used to modify CSG and laboratory tests were performed to evaluate the fluidity, gelation time and rheology. The results showed that both bentonites and the HEMC decreased fluidity and prolonged the gelation time. HEMC, Ca-B and Na-B decreased the fluidity by 46.8–60.4%, 12.5–31.5% and 17.7–39.1%, respectively, at different temperatures. HEMC, Ca-B and Na-B increased the gelation time by 23.8–50.1%, 23.3–71.4% and 20%–57.1%, respectively. Bentonite can partially resist high temperatures and improve the apparent viscosity of grout owing to its water-absorption capacity. Conversely, HEMC has a negative effect on apparent viscosity, which is attributed to the formation of a complex microstructure resulting from intermolecular cross-linking between the cement particles and HEMC, preventing the connection of sodium silicate.

Characterization of the effect of chromium salts on tropocollagen molecules and molecular aggregates

Though the capability of chromium treatment to improve the stability and mechanical properties of collagen fibrils is well-known, the influence of different chromium salts on collagen molecules (tropocollagen) is not well characterized. In this study, the effect of Cr3+ treatment on the conformation and hydrodynamic properties of collagen was studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Statistical analysis of contours of adsorbed tropocollagen molecules using the two-dimensional worm-like chain model revealed a reduction of the persistence length (i.e., the increase of flexibility) from ≈72 nm in water to ≈56–57 nm in chromium (III) salt solutions. DLS studies demonstrated an increase of the hydrodynamic radius from ≈140 nm in water to ≈190 nm in chromium (III) salt solutions, which is associated with protein aggregation. The kinetics of collagen aggregation was shown to be ionic strength dependent. Collagen molecules treated with three different chromium (III) salts demonstrated similar properties such as flexibility, aggregation kinetics, and susceptibility to enzymatic cleavage. The observed effects are explained by a model that considers the formation of chromium-associated intra- and intermolecular crosslinks. The obtained results provide novel insights into the effect of chromium salts on the conformation and properties of tropocollagen molecules.

High uptake of citrus essential oil-loaded zein particles into E. coli tuned by the wet-crosslinked folic acid

Zein particles are increasingly used for encapsulation and delivery of hydrophobic bioactive. Conjugation of zein with multi-carboxylic acids by the alkali-catalysed and wet amidation process causes zein crosslinking and enables tuning the characteristics of zein particles. However, little is known about how the conjugation is associated with the crosslinking mode, i.e., intra and/or intermolecular crosslinks. In this study, folic acid (FoA) was conjugated with zein via the wet method, and citrus essential oil (CEO) was encapsulated within the constructed zein-FoA particles. Infra-red spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis indicated amide bond formation between zein and FoA showing that the content of primary amino groups in zein particles decreased due to conjugation. The mole fraction of FoA in the particles (χFoA) was measured as an index of conjugation extent and even though it did not exceed ∼0.1, conjugation influenced several characteristics of the particles. The contents of α-helix and β-turn structures decreased, and that of β-sheets increased with increasing χFoA. We hypothesized based on ζ-potential and hydrodynamic diameter results, as well as gel electrophoresis that conjugation with FoA caused formation of only intramolecular crosslinks at χFoA ≤ 0.035, but it additionally resulted in intermolecular crosslinks at χFoA ≥ 0.037. Conjugation with FoA at χFoA 0.091 resulted in an improvement of the zein particles biological performance. It caused an increase (∼30%) in the particle uptake by E. coli cells, as well as the magnitude of CEO delivery into the bacteria cells compared with non-conjugated particles.

Supramolecular structure of banana peel pectin and its transformations during extraction by acidic methods

In this study, the approaches to describe the mesh structure in the homogalacturonate domains of pectin and the effect of the native structure violations on the stabilization effectiveness of the oil-in-water emulsion were demonstrated. Pectin with a native structure was isolated from banana peel by enzymolysis of insoluble dietary fibres. This pectin was compared with pectins, which were isolated using hydrochloric and citric acids. The properties of pectins were analyzed taking into account the ratio of galacturonate units in nonsubstituted, methoxylated and calcium-pectate forms. The content of calcium-pectate units determines the density of inter-molecular crosslinking formation. The simulation results reflect the structure of rigid “egg-box” crosslinking blocks and flexible segments formed in native pectin mainly by methoxylated links. Hydrochloric acid extraction is accompanied by the destruction of the crosslinking blocks and depolymerization of pectin. Citric acid partially demineralizes the crosslinking blocks contributing to the release of macromolecular chains that do not have calcium-pectate units. The granulometric data indicates that the individual macromolecules take the thermodynamically stable form of a statistical tangle. Such conformation is an ideal basis for the formation of “host-guest” microcontainers having a hydrophilic shell and a hydrophobic core with an oil-soluble functional substance.

The molecular conformation, but not disaggregation, of humic acid in water solution plays a crucial role in promoting plant development in the natural environment.

Many studies have shown the capacity of soil humic substances (HS) to improve plant growth in natural ecosystems. This effect involves the activation of different processes within the plant at different coordinated molecular, biochemical, and physiological levels. However, the first event triggered by plant root-HS interaction remains unclear. Some studies suggest the hypothesis that the interaction of HS with root exudates involves relevant modification of the molecular conformation of humic self-assembled aggregates, including disaggregation, which might be directly involved in the activation of root responses. To investigate this hypothesis, we have prepared two humic acids. A natural humic acid (HA) and a transformed humic acid obtained from the treatment of HA with fungal laccase (HA enz). We have tested the capacity of the two humic acids to affect plant growth (cucumber and Arabidopsis) and complex Cu. Laccase-treatment did not change the molecular size but increased hydrophobicity, molecular compactness and stability, and rigidity of HA enz. Laccase-treatment avoided the ability of HA to promote shoot- and root-growth in cucumber and Arabidopsis. However, it does not modify Cu complexation features. There is no molecular disaggregation upon the interaction of HA and HA enz with plant roots. The results indicate that the interaction with plant roots induced in both HA and laccase-treated HA (HA enz), changes in their structural features that showed higher compactness and rigidity. These events might result from the interaction of HA and HA enz with specific root exudates that can promote intermolecular crosslinking. In summary, the results indicate that the weakly bond stabilized aggregated conformation (supramolecular-like) of HA plays a crucial role in its ability to promote root and shoot growth. The results also indicate the presence of two main types of HS in the rhizosphere corresponding to those non-interacting with plant roots (forming aggregated molecular assemblies) and those produced after interacting with plant root exudates (forming stable macromolecules).

Structure Modification and Enhancement of Wear Resistance of Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene by Low-Pressure Helium Plasma Treatment

The surface treatment of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) in heliumplasma at a pressure of 0.133 mbar has been studied by IR spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,a nd atomic force microscopy. It has been shown that the helium plasma treatment leads to the formation of double bonds in the UHMWPE surface layer and the associated formation of intermolecular crosslinks. The crosslinking of the surface layer is accompanied by a decrease in the nanowear of the UHMWPE surface bymore than three orders of magnitude, which is confirmed by measurements using an atomic force microscope in the contact mode

Collagen type I cross-linked to gelatin/chitosan electrospun mats: Application for skin tissue engineering

Skin tissue engineering can provide advanced/medicated dressings by using a wide range of biodegradable polymers. Electrospun nanofibrous mats have been exposed as a great potential for skin tissue regeneration by resembling extracellular matrix. In the present study, electrospun mats were prepared using 90:10 vol ratio of gelatin/chitosan (CS) blend. Then collagen type I cross-linked to CS to improve its biological properties. FTIR results confirmed the expected chemical composition and intermolecular cross-links. SEM images represented a homogeneous structure with minimum structural defects. The average nanofiber diameters of unmodified and collagen type I-modified gelatin/CS (90:10 v/v) mats were also found around 193 ± 80 nm and 302 ± 150 nm, respectively. Collagen presence increased young modules of the mats up to 3.72 kPa, which caused better-supported cell attachment and proliferation. MTT assay displayed that the presence of collagen type I significantly increased cell viability and migration up to 89% after three days. It is to be concluded that the proposed modified mats exhibited convenient structural and functional characteristics and also provided a promising solution for skin tissue engineering applications.

Isocyanide-based multi-component reactions for carrier-free and carrier-bound covalent immobilization of enzymes.

Strategies for the covalent immobilization of enzymes depend on the type of functional group selected to perform the coupling reaction, and on the relative importance of selectivity, loading capacity, immobilization time and activity/stability of the resulting immobilized preparation. However, no single strategy is applicable for all covalent immobilization methods or can meet all these criteria, exemplifying the challenge of introducing a versatile process broadly compatible with the residues on the surface of proteins and the functional groups of common linkers. Here, we describe the use of isocyanide-based multi-component reactions for the carrier-bound and carrier-free covalent immobilization of enzymes. Isocyanide-based multi-component reactions can accept a wide variety of functional groups such as epoxy, acid, amine and aldehyde, as well as many commercially available bi-functional linkers, and are therefore suitable for either covalent coupling of enzymes on a solid support or intermolecular cross-linking of enzymes. In this strategy, an isocyanide is directly added to the reaction medium, the enzyme supplies either the exposed amine or carboxylic acid groups, and the support (in carrier-bound immobilization) or the bi-functional cross-linking agent (in carrier-free immobilization) provides another reactive functional group. The protocol offers operational simplicity, high efficiency and a notable reduction in time over alternative strategies, and can be performed by users with expertise in chemistry or biology. The immobilization reactions typically require 1-24 h.

A Web‐like Three‐dimensional Binder for Silicon Anode in Lithium‐ion Batteries

Si anode is of paramount importance for advanced energy‐dense lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). However, the large volume change as well as stress generates during its lithiation‐delithiation process poses a great challenge to the long‐term cycling and hindering its application. Herein this work, a composite binder is prepared with a soft component, guar gum (GG), and a rigid linear polymer, anionic polyacrylamide (APAM). Rich hydroxy, carboxyl, and amide groups on the polymer chains not only enable intermolecular crosslinking to form a web‐like binder, A2G1, but also realize strong chemical binding as well as physical encapsulating to Si particles. The resultant electrode shows limited thickness change of merely 9% on lithiation and almost recovers its original thickness on delithiation. It demonstrates high reversible capacity of 2104.3 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at a current density of 1800 mA g−1, and in constant capacity (1000 mAh g−1) test, it also shows a long life of 392 cycles. Therefore, this soft‐hard combining web‐like binder illustrates its great potential in the future applications.

Dual-network polyvinyl alcohol/polyacrylamide/xanthan gum ionic conductive hydrogels for flexible electronic devices

Ionic conductive hydrogels (ICHs) have received widespread attention as an ideal candidate for flexible electronic devices. However, conventional ICHs failed in widespread applications due to their inability to simultaneously possess high toughness, high ionic conductivity, and anti-freezing properties. Here, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyacrylamide (PAAm) were first dissolved in the zinc chloride solution, in which zinc ions (Zn2+) act as ionic cross-linkers and conducting ions, followed by the introduction of xanthan gum (XG) with a unique structure of trisaccharide side chains into the PVA/PAAm semi-interpenetrating network to prepare a dual-network ICHs (refers as PPXZ). Enabled by the synergistic effect of intermolecular chemical covalent cross-linking and physical cross-linking, PPXZ hydrogels exhibit significantly improved mechanical properties without sacrificing electrical conductivity. Furthermore, PPXZ hydrogels are successfully applied to flexible electronic devices, such as strain sensors and zinc ion hybrid supercapacitors, exhibiting satisfactory sensing sensitivity and cycling stability at a wide temperature range, respectively. Even at a high current density (10 A g−1), the capacity of the supercapacitor retains 88.24 % after 10,000 cycles. This strategy provides new insight for ICHs in wide temperature-applied flexible electronic devices.