Adhesive and high-sensitivity modified Ti3C2Tx (MXene)-based organohydrogels with wide work temperature range for wearable sensors

Hydrogel-based wearable sensors have gained great interest on account of their huge application in human-machine interfaces, electronic skin, and healthcare monitoring. However, there are still challenges in designing hydrogel-based sensors with high stability in a wide temperature range, superior adhesion, and excellent sensitivity. Herein, sensors based on oxidized sodium alginate (OSA)/polyacrylamide (PAm)/polydopamine-Ti3C2Tx (PMXene) /glycerol/water (Gly/H2O) organohydrogels were designed. The organohydrogels exhibited excellent mechanical properties (elongation at break of 1037%, tensile strength of 0.17 MPa), predominant self-healing ability (self-healing efficiency of 91%), as well as high sensing stability in a wide temperature range (from -20 to 60 degrees C). The introduction of PDA (polydopamine) and viscous glycerin (Gly) provide organohydrogels with superior adhesion. Organohydrogels sensors demonstrated high sensitivity (Gauge Factor, GF = 2.2) due to the combination of ionic and electron conduction. Sensors could stably detect human movement under different strain levels at high and low temperatures, providing a new solution for wearable sensors in extreme conditions. (C) 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study designed sensors based on oxidized sodium alginate/polyacrylamide/polydopamine-Ti3C2Tx/glycerol/water organohydrogels, which exhibited excellent mechanical properties, self-healing ability, and sensing stability. The sensors showed high sensitivity due to the combination of ionic and electron conduction, and could stably detect human movement under extreme conditions.