A self-adhesive and low-temperature-tolerant strain sensor based on organohydrogel for extreme ice and snow motion monitoring

The design of conductive hydrogel materials with cold-adaptive and flexible properties is of great practical significance for preparing flexible wearable electronics to adapt to the application needs of different environments. However, traditional hydrogel-based sensors are often severely affected in terms of operating temperature range, detection accuracy, and long-term stability under extreme environments. In this study, inspired by the freezing resistance and adhesion chemistry of organisms in the nature, an organohydrogel with self-adhesive characteristics and extreme temperature tolerance, consisting of a binary solvent system of water and glycerol, is fabricated. A pyrogallol-borate complex and polypyrrole nanoparticles are incorporated into the polymer networks, which provide excellent adhesion and electrical conductivity to the organohydrogel, respectively. This conductive and shape-adaptable organohydrogel exhibits extraordinary self-adhesion, suitable mechanical strength, and excellent fatigue resistance for meeting personalized application requirements. Meanwhile, it can withstand a low temperature of-80 ? for 24 h without freezing and maintain an excellent electrical conductivity (0.12 S m(-1)) and high gauge factor (GF = 4.9). Therefore, the organohydrogel-based sensor exhibits excellent antifreeze properties and can be used in personal health and human-machine interfaces for extreme ice and snow sports. More importantly, the sensor can also simulate the standard of real-time capture of the skier's body movements, providing a reference for judges to score. This study provides an exciting new direction for the development of wearable strain sensing devices.

Automated summary

In this study, a cold-adaptive and flexible organohydrogel material with excellent self-adhesive and extreme temperature tolerance properties is developed. The organohydrogel demonstrates outstanding electrical conductivity and mechanical strength at low temperatures, making it suitable for extreme ice and snow sports applications.