Zeng Jiazhou, Jing Xin, Lin Liya, Wang Gangrong, Zhang Yaoxun, Feng Peiyong
Key Laboratory of Advanced Packaging Materials and Technology of Hunan Province, Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou 412007, China; National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Advanced Packaging Material and Technology, Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou 412007, China.
Key Laboratory of Advanced Packaging Materials and Technology of Hunan Province, Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou 412007, China; National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Advanced Packaging Material and Technology, Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou 412007, China.
J Colloid Interface Sci. 2025 Jan;677(Pt B):816-826. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.08.117. Epub 2024 Aug 16.
Smart sensing and excellent actuation abilities of natural organisms have driven scientists to develop bionic soft-bodied robots. However, most conventional robots suffer from poor electrical conductivity, limiting their application in real-time sensing and actuation. Here, we report a novel strategy to enhance the electrical conductivity of hydrogels that integrated actuation and strain-sensing functions for bioinspired self-sensing soft actuators. Conductive hydrogels were synthesized in situ by copolymerizing MXene nanosheets with thermosensitive N-isopropylacrylamide and acrylamide under a direct current electric field. The resulting hydrogels exhibited high electrical conductivity (2.11 mS/cm), good sensitivity with a gauge factor of 4.79 and long-term stability. The developed hydrogels demonstrated remarkable capabilities in detecting human motions at subtle strains such as facial expressions and large strains such as knee bending. Additionally, the hydrogel electrode patch was capable of monitoring physiological signals. Furthermore, the developed hydrogel showed good thermally induced actuation effects when the temperature was higher than 30 °C. Overall, this work provided new insights for the design of sensory materials with integrated self-sensing and actuation capabilities, which would pave the way for the development of high-performance conductive soft materials for intelligent soft robots and automated machinery.
天然生物体的智能传感和出色的驱动能力促使科学家们开发仿生软体机器人。然而，大多数传统机器人的导电性较差，限制了它们在实时传感和驱动方面的应用。在此，我们报告了一种增强水凝胶导电性的新策略，该水凝胶集成了驱动和应变传感功能，用于受生物启发的自传感软致动器。通过在直流电场下将MXene纳米片与热敏性N-异丙基丙烯酰胺和丙烯酰胺共聚，原位合成了导电水凝胶。所得水凝胶具有高电导率（2.11 mS/cm）、良好的灵敏度（应变片系数为4.79）和长期稳定性。所开发的水凝胶在检测细微应变（如面部表情）和大应变（如膝盖弯曲）的人体运动方面表现出卓越能力。此外，水凝胶电极贴片能够监测生理信号。此外，当温度高于30°C时，所开发的水凝胶表现出良好的热致动效果。总体而言，这项工作为设计具有集成自传感和驱动能力的传感材料提供了新的见解，这将为开发用于智能软机器人和自动化机械的高性能导电软材料铺平道路。
