Ion-conductive self-healing hydrogels based on an interpenetrating polymer network for a multimodal sensor

Abstract Conductive self-healing polymer hydrogel and related soft sensor devices are receiving considerable attention from academia to industry because of their impacts on the lifetime and ergonomic design of soft robotics, prosthesis, and health monitoring systems. However, the development of such a material has thus far been limited considering performances and accessibility. Herein, robustness, self-healing, and conductivity for soft electronic skin are realized by an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) system based on chemical/ionic cross-linked poly(acrylic acid) containing ferric ions, intercalated with physically cross-linked poly(vinyl alcohol). This IPN hydrogel successfully satisfies all three aforementioned capabilities; elongation at break greater than 1400%; recovery to original mechanical properties greater than 80% after 24 h; and 0.14 S m −1 of ionic conductivity, which is electrically healable. Such ionic conductivity of hydrogels enables multimodal sensing capabilities, i.e., for strain, pressure, and temperature. Particularly, a uniquely designed dual sensor attached to a finger simultaneously detects mechanical folding and pressure changes independently and can undergo large deformation 1000 times repeated and heating up to 90 °C.