Antibacterial zwitterionic hydrogel for flexible and wearable ultrafast-response strain sensors with low hysteresis
Haihua Wang,
Leixin Meng,
Yanan Ye,
Jingheng Wu,
Shilei Zhu,
Yushan Liu,
Ke Li,
Xin Yang,
Meng Wei,
Mengxi Wang,
Ling Song,
Shuaijun Guo
Affiliations
Haihua Wang
Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for Industry, Xi'an Key Laboratory of Advanced Performance Materials and Polymers, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xuefu Road, Weiyang district, Xi'an, 710021, China; Corresponding authors.
Leixin Meng
Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for Industry, Xi'an Key Laboratory of Advanced Performance Materials and Polymers, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xuefu Road, Weiyang district, Xi'an, 710021, China
Yanan Ye
College of Materials Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, China; Shanxi-Zheda Institute of Advanced Materials and Chemical Engineering, Taiyuan, 030024, China; Corresponding authors.
Jingheng Wu
Department of Hand Surgery, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing, 100035, China; Corresponding authors.
Shilei Zhu
College of Physics, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, China
Yushan Liu
Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for Industry, Xi'an Key Laboratory of Advanced Performance Materials and Polymers, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xuefu Road, Weiyang district, Xi'an, 710021, China
Ke Li
Xi'an Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Common Aging Diseases, Translational and Research Centre for Prevention and Therapy of Chronic Disease, Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, 710021, China
Xin Yang
Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for Industry, Xi'an Key Laboratory of Advanced Performance Materials and Polymers, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xuefu Road, Weiyang district, Xi'an, 710021, China
Meng Wei
Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for Industry, Xi'an Key Laboratory of Advanced Performance Materials and Polymers, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xuefu Road, Weiyang district, Xi'an, 710021, China
Mengxi Wang
Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for Industry, Xi'an Key Laboratory of Advanced Performance Materials and Polymers, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xuefu Road, Weiyang district, Xi'an, 710021, China
Ling Song
Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for Industry, Xi'an Key Laboratory of Advanced Performance Materials and Polymers, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xuefu Road, Weiyang district, Xi'an, 710021, China
Shuaijun Guo
College of Materials Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, China
Zwitterionic hydrogels, with their unique antibacterial and tissue-adhesive nature, show great potential in the fields of wearable sensors, healthcare monitoring, and e-skins. However, it remains a huge challenge to integrate high elasticity and low hysteresis in such a hydrogel via simple methods. Herein, a novel tissue-adhesive zwitterionic hydrogel sensor was fabricated by a simple one-pot method using copolymerization of [2-(Methacryloyloxy) ethyl] dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl) ammonium hydroxide (SBMA), N-[Tris (hydroxymethyl)methyl] acrylamide (THMA), and acrylic acid (AA), which was crosslinked by polyethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (PEGDE), a crosslinker famous for its low-toxicity and biocompatibility. The obtained SAT hydrogel shows robust elasticity with low hysteresis and fatigue resistance, which is essential for the long-term use. The introduction of THMA and PAA enhances the adhesive strength and reversible resilience of the hydrogel by interfacial hydrogen bonding, resulting in superior adhesion to skin without causing harm. The chemical crosslinker existing in SAT hydrogel enables it to withstand large deformations while maintaining stability. Besides the well-known antibacterial properties, the addition of SBMA enables the hydrogel to exhibit excellent electrical properties and a rapid response (19.5 ms) within a wide strain-sensing range, which facilitates accurate detection of various human body motions, such as joint bending, swallowing, and heartbeats. Moreover, the hydrogel demonstrates biocompatibility and excellent antibacterial activity, promising a safer and more comfortable experience for users.
