Spider Silk‐Inspired Conductive Hydrogels for Enhanced Toughness and Environmental Resilience via Dense Hierarchical Structuring

Abstract Conductive hydrogels, known for their biocompatibility and responsiveness to external stimuli, hold promise for biomedical applications like wearable sensors, soft robotics, and implantable electronics. However, their broader use is often constrained by limited toughness and environmental r...

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Main Authors: Seokkyoon Hong, Jiwon Lee, Taewoong Park, Jinheon Jeong, Junsang Lee, Hyeonseo Joo, Juan C. Mesa, Claudia Benito Alston, Yuhyun Ji, Sergio Ruiz Vega, Cristian Barinaga, Jonghun Yi, Youngjun Lee, Jun Kim, Kate J. Won, Luis Solorio, Young L. Kim, Hyowon Lee, Dong Rip Kim, Chi Hwan Lee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-03-01
Series:Advanced Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202500397
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author Seokkyoon Hong
Jiwon Lee
Taewoong Park
Jinheon Jeong
Junsang Lee
Hyeonseo Joo
Juan C. Mesa
Claudia Benito Alston
Yuhyun Ji
Sergio Ruiz Vega
Cristian Barinaga
Jonghun Yi
Youngjun Lee
Jun Kim
Kate J. Won
Luis Solorio
Young L. Kim
Hyowon Lee
Dong Rip Kim
Chi Hwan Lee
author_facet Seokkyoon Hong
Jiwon Lee
Taewoong Park
Jinheon Jeong
Junsang Lee
Hyeonseo Joo
Juan C. Mesa
Claudia Benito Alston
Yuhyun Ji
Sergio Ruiz Vega
Cristian Barinaga
Jonghun Yi
Youngjun Lee
Jun Kim
Kate J. Won
Luis Solorio
Young L. Kim
Hyowon Lee
Dong Rip Kim
Chi Hwan Lee
author_sort Seokkyoon Hong
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Conductive hydrogels, known for their biocompatibility and responsiveness to external stimuli, hold promise for biomedical applications like wearable sensors, soft robotics, and implantable electronics. However, their broader use is often constrained by limited toughness and environmental resilience, particularly under mechanical stress or extreme conditions. Inspired by the hierarchical structures of natural materials like spider silk, a strategy is developed to enhance both toughness and environmental tolerance in conductive hydrogels. By leveraging multiscale dynamics including pores, crystallization, and intermolecular interactions, a dense hierarchical structure is created that significantly improves toughness, reaching ≈90 MJ m⁻3. This hydrogel withstands temperatures from −150 to 70 °C, pressure of 12 psi, and one‐month storage under ambient conditions, while maintaining a lightweight profile of 0.25 g cm⁻3. Additionally, its tunable rheological properties allow for high‐resolution printing of desired shapes down to 220 µm, capable of supporting loads exceeding 164 kg m⁻2. This study offers a versatile framework for designing durable materials for various applications.
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issn 2198-3844
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publisher Wiley
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spelling doaj-art-6f286a645684430ab85ce7d6090f10e12025-08-20T01:49:42ZengWileyAdvanced Science2198-38442025-03-011212n/an/a10.1002/advs.202500397Spider Silk‐Inspired Conductive Hydrogels for Enhanced Toughness and Environmental Resilience via Dense Hierarchical StructuringSeokkyoon Hong0Jiwon Lee1Taewoong Park2Jinheon Jeong3Junsang Lee4Hyeonseo Joo5Juan C. Mesa6Claudia Benito Alston7Yuhyun Ji8Sergio Ruiz Vega9Cristian Barinaga10Jonghun Yi11Youngjun Lee12Jun Kim13Kate J. Won14Luis Solorio15Young L. Kim16Hyowon Lee17Dong Rip Kim18Chi Hwan Lee19Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USASchool of Mechanical Engineering Hanyang University Seoul 04763 Republic of KoreaWeldon School of Biomedical Engineering Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USAWeldon School of Biomedical Engineering Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USAWeldon School of Biomedical Engineering Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USAWeldon School of Biomedical Engineering Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USAWeldon School of Biomedical Engineering Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USAWeldon School of Biomedical Engineering Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USAWeldon School of Biomedical Engineering Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USAWeldon School of Biomedical Engineering Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USACenter for Implantable Devices Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USASchool of Mechanical Engineering Hanyang University Seoul 04763 Republic of KoreaWeldon School of Biomedical Engineering Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USAWeldon School of Biomedical Engineering Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USAWeldon School of Biomedical Engineering Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USAWeldon School of Biomedical Engineering Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USAWeldon School of Biomedical Engineering Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USAWeldon School of Biomedical Engineering Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USASchool of Mechanical Engineering Hanyang University Seoul 04763 Republic of KoreaWeldon School of Biomedical Engineering Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USAAbstract Conductive hydrogels, known for their biocompatibility and responsiveness to external stimuli, hold promise for biomedical applications like wearable sensors, soft robotics, and implantable electronics. However, their broader use is often constrained by limited toughness and environmental resilience, particularly under mechanical stress or extreme conditions. Inspired by the hierarchical structures of natural materials like spider silk, a strategy is developed to enhance both toughness and environmental tolerance in conductive hydrogels. By leveraging multiscale dynamics including pores, crystallization, and intermolecular interactions, a dense hierarchical structure is created that significantly improves toughness, reaching ≈90 MJ m⁻3. This hydrogel withstands temperatures from −150 to 70 °C, pressure of 12 psi, and one‐month storage under ambient conditions, while maintaining a lightweight profile of 0.25 g cm⁻3. Additionally, its tunable rheological properties allow for high‐resolution printing of desired shapes down to 220 µm, capable of supporting loads exceeding 164 kg m⁻2. This study offers a versatile framework for designing durable materials for various applications.https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202500397bioinspired materialsenvironmental resiliencehierarchical structurestough hydrogelswearable sensors
spellingShingle Seokkyoon Hong
Jiwon Lee
Taewoong Park
Jinheon Jeong
Junsang Lee
Hyeonseo Joo
Juan C. Mesa
Claudia Benito Alston
Yuhyun Ji
Sergio Ruiz Vega
Cristian Barinaga
Jonghun Yi
Youngjun Lee
Jun Kim
Kate J. Won
Luis Solorio
Young L. Kim
Hyowon Lee
Dong Rip Kim
Chi Hwan Lee
Spider Silk‐Inspired Conductive Hydrogels for Enhanced Toughness and Environmental Resilience via Dense Hierarchical Structuring
Advanced Science
bioinspired materials
environmental resilience
hierarchical structures
tough hydrogels
wearable sensors
title Spider Silk‐Inspired Conductive Hydrogels for Enhanced Toughness and Environmental Resilience via Dense Hierarchical Structuring
title_full Spider Silk‐Inspired Conductive Hydrogels for Enhanced Toughness and Environmental Resilience via Dense Hierarchical Structuring
title_fullStr Spider Silk‐Inspired Conductive Hydrogels for Enhanced Toughness and Environmental Resilience via Dense Hierarchical Structuring
title_full_unstemmed Spider Silk‐Inspired Conductive Hydrogels for Enhanced Toughness and Environmental Resilience via Dense Hierarchical Structuring
title_short Spider Silk‐Inspired Conductive Hydrogels for Enhanced Toughness and Environmental Resilience via Dense Hierarchical Structuring
title_sort spider silk inspired conductive hydrogels for enhanced toughness and environmental resilience via dense hierarchical structuring
topic bioinspired materials
environmental resilience
hierarchical structures
tough hydrogels
wearable sensors
url https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202500397
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