Ionoskins: Nonvolatile, Highly Transparent, Ultrastretchable Ionic Sensory Platforms for Wearable Electronics

The primary technology of next-generation wearable electronics pursues the development of highly deformable and stable systems. Here, nonvolatile, highly transparent, and ultrastretchable ionic conductors based on polymeric gelators [poly(methyl methacrylate-ran-butyl acrylate), PMMA-r-PBA] and ionic liquids (IL) are proposed. A crucial strategy in the molecular design of polymer gelators is copolymerization of PMMA and IL-insoluble low glass transition temperature (T-g) polymers that can be deformed and effectively dissipate applied strains. Highly stretchable (elongation limit approximate to 850%), mechanically robust (elastic modulus approximate to 3.1 x 10(5) Pa), and deformation durable (recovery ratio approximate to 96.1% after 500 stretching/releasing cycles) gels are obtained by judiciously adjusting the molecular characteristics of polymer gelators and gel composition. An extremely simple ionic strain sensory platform is fabricated by directly connecting the stretchable gel and a digital multimeter, exhibiting high sensitivity (gauge factor approximate to 2.73), stable operation (>13 000 cycles), and nonvolatility (>10 d in air). Moreover, the skin-type strain sensor, referred to as ionoskin, is demonstrated. The gels are attached to a part of the body (e.g., finger, elbow, knee, or ankle) and various human movements are successfully monitored. The ionoskin renders the opportunity to achieve wearable ubiquitous electronics such as healthcare devices and smart textile systems.