Freeze-resistant wearable strain sensors based on hyperbranched cellulose nanofiber hydrogels

Hydrogel sensors are becoming increasingly important for electronic devices because of their flexibility, versatility, and high sensitivity, especially in applications that necessitate compatibility with human skin. However, creating hydrogel sensors that maintain high toughness and antifreeze prope...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Houhuang Tao, Xue Yu, Lanqing Li, Maria De Los Angeles, Na Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-09-01
Series:Results in Engineering
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123025027987
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849233504353648640
author Houhuang Tao
Xue Yu
Lanqing Li
Maria De Los Angeles
Na Wang
author_facet Houhuang Tao
Xue Yu
Lanqing Li
Maria De Los Angeles
Na Wang
author_sort Houhuang Tao
collection DOAJ
description Hydrogel sensors are becoming increasingly important for electronic devices because of their flexibility, versatility, and high sensitivity, especially in applications that necessitate compatibility with human skin. However, creating hydrogel sensors that maintain high toughness and antifreeze properties in extreme cold conditions continues to be a challenge. This study introduces phytic acid (PA) into a hyperbranched polyamide (HBP)/cellulose nanofiber (CNF) interacting network to develop a freezing-resistant, high-toughness hydrogel with sustained electrical conductivity (HBP/CNF-PA). The terminal amino groups of the HBP enhance hydrogen bonding, thereby improving the mechanical strength and conductivity of the hydrogel. The resulting HBP/CNF-PA hydrogels exhibit a tensile strength of 219.7 kPa, a compressive strength of 0.87 MPa, and dissipate energy at a rate of 795 kJ·m-3, along with a conductivity of 0.45 S·cm-1 and exceptional frost resistance, extending down to -40°°C, due to the ionization induced by PA. Hydrogels were utilized to create flexible sensors with a sensitivity of up to 1.34 V·g-1. The sensors detect signals with a time interval of just 197 ms and 215 ms, capable of identifying changes in relative resistance caused by wrist flexion, gestures, and voice movements.
format Article
id doaj-art-cb11e5ec77c8420d9f0c0ea8eb614dc0
institution Kabale University
issn 2590-1230
language English
publishDate 2025-09-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Results in Engineering
spelling doaj-art-cb11e5ec77c8420d9f0c0ea8eb614dc02025-08-20T05:07:38ZengElsevierResults in Engineering2590-12302025-09-012710673110.1016/j.rineng.2025.106731Freeze-resistant wearable strain sensors based on hyperbranched cellulose nanofiber hydrogelsHouhuang Tao0Xue Yu1Lanqing Li2Maria De Los Angeles3Na Wang4College of Intelligent Transportation Modern Industry, Anhui Sanlian University, Anhui 230601, ChinaCollege of Intelligent Transportation Modern Industry, Anhui Sanlian University, Anhui 230601, ChinaCollege of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 618103, ChinaDepartment of chemistry, College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, ChinaCollege of Intelligent Transportation Modern Industry, Anhui Sanlian University, Anhui 230601, China; Corresponding author.Hydrogel sensors are becoming increasingly important for electronic devices because of their flexibility, versatility, and high sensitivity, especially in applications that necessitate compatibility with human skin. However, creating hydrogel sensors that maintain high toughness and antifreeze properties in extreme cold conditions continues to be a challenge. This study introduces phytic acid (PA) into a hyperbranched polyamide (HBP)/cellulose nanofiber (CNF) interacting network to develop a freezing-resistant, high-toughness hydrogel with sustained electrical conductivity (HBP/CNF-PA). The terminal amino groups of the HBP enhance hydrogen bonding, thereby improving the mechanical strength and conductivity of the hydrogel. The resulting HBP/CNF-PA hydrogels exhibit a tensile strength of 219.7 kPa, a compressive strength of 0.87 MPa, and dissipate energy at a rate of 795 kJ·m-3, along with a conductivity of 0.45 S·cm-1 and exceptional frost resistance, extending down to -40°°C, due to the ionization induced by PA. Hydrogels were utilized to create flexible sensors with a sensitivity of up to 1.34 V·g-1. The sensors detect signals with a time interval of just 197 ms and 215 ms, capable of identifying changes in relative resistance caused by wrist flexion, gestures, and voice movements.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123025027987Hydrogel sensorWearable sensorFreeze resistanceMotion detectionHyperbranched polyamide
spellingShingle Houhuang Tao
Xue Yu
Lanqing Li
Maria De Los Angeles
Na Wang
Freeze-resistant wearable strain sensors based on hyperbranched cellulose nanofiber hydrogels
Results in Engineering
Hydrogel sensor
Wearable sensor
Freeze resistance
Motion detection
Hyperbranched polyamide
title Freeze-resistant wearable strain sensors based on hyperbranched cellulose nanofiber hydrogels
title_full Freeze-resistant wearable strain sensors based on hyperbranched cellulose nanofiber hydrogels
title_fullStr Freeze-resistant wearable strain sensors based on hyperbranched cellulose nanofiber hydrogels
title_full_unstemmed Freeze-resistant wearable strain sensors based on hyperbranched cellulose nanofiber hydrogels
title_short Freeze-resistant wearable strain sensors based on hyperbranched cellulose nanofiber hydrogels
title_sort freeze resistant wearable strain sensors based on hyperbranched cellulose nanofiber hydrogels
topic Hydrogel sensor
Wearable sensor
Freeze resistance
Motion detection
Hyperbranched polyamide
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123025027987
work_keys_str_mv AT houhuangtao freezeresistantwearablestrainsensorsbasedonhyperbranchedcellulosenanofiberhydrogels
AT xueyu freezeresistantwearablestrainsensorsbasedonhyperbranchedcellulosenanofiberhydrogels
AT lanqingli freezeresistantwearablestrainsensorsbasedonhyperbranchedcellulosenanofiberhydrogels
AT mariadelosangeles freezeresistantwearablestrainsensorsbasedonhyperbranchedcellulosenanofiberhydrogels
AT nawang freezeresistantwearablestrainsensorsbasedonhyperbranchedcellulosenanofiberhydrogels