Highly Stretchable, Strain-Sensitive, and Ionic-Conductive Cellulose-Based Hydrogels for Wearable Sensors

Abstract

To extend the applications of natural polymer-based hydrogels to wearable sensors, it is both important and a great challenge to improve their mechanical and electrical performance. In this work, highly stretchable, strain-sensitive, and ionic-conductive cellulose-based hydrogels (CHs) were prepared by random copolymerization of allyl cellulose and acrylic acid. The acquired hydrogels exhibit high stretchability (~142% of tensile strain) and good transparency (~86% at 550 nm). In addition, the hydrogels not only demonstrate better sensitivity in a wide linear range (0–100%) but also exhibit excellent repeatable and stable signals even after 1000 cycles. Notably, hydrogel-based wearable sensors were successfully constructed to detect human movements. Their reliability, sensitivity, and wide-range properties endow the CHs with great potential for application in various wearable sensors.