High-Sensitivity and Flexible Motion Sensing Enabled by Robust, Self-Healing Wood-Based Anisotropic Hydrogel Composites
Date
2025-02-07
Authors
Teng, Youchao
Zhang, Zhilei
Cui, Yunqi
Su, Zhe
Godwin, Matthew
Chung, TzuChun
Zhou, Yongzan
Leontowich, Adam L.G.
Islam, Muhammad Shahidul
Tam, Kam C.
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Wiley
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Article
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Abstract
By integrating polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-borate-tannic acid (TA)-sodium sulfate into cellulosic wood matrices, a novel wood-basedPVA-borate-TA-sodium sulfate (WPBTS) hydrogel is successfully synthesized. Through a multicomponent synergistic design combining natural lignocellulose, PVA, borax, TA, and sodium sulfate, multiple dynamic cross-linking mechanisms—dynamic borate bonding, hydrogen bonding, and metal-ligand interactions—are established, resulting in WPBTS hydrogels with exceptional mechanical properties and self-healing capabilities. The mechanical strength of the WPBTS hydrogel reached an impressive 19.8 MPa, a 45-fold increase compared to PVA-borax-tannic acid (PBTS) hydrogels. Furthermore, the assembled WPBTS hydrogel-based flexible sensor demonstrates a remarkably fast response time of just 20 ms and maintains excellent performance in challenging simulated saline environments. This innovation represents a significant advancement in sensor technology and highlights the potential for transformative applications in complex and demanding scenarios.
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© 2025 The Author(s). Small published by Wiley-VCH GmbH
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
Keywords
Wood-Based Anisotropic Hydrogel, Hydrogel, High-Sensitivity, Self-Healing, Flexible Motion Sensing
Citation
Teng, Y., Zhang, Z., Cui, Y., Su, Z., Godwin, M., Chung, T., Zhou, Y., Leontowich, A. F. G., Islam, M. S., Tam, K. C., & Wu, Y. A. (2025). High‐Sensitivity and Flexible Motion Sensing Enabled by Robust, Self‐Healing Wood‐Based Anisotropic Hydrogel Composites. Small, 21(11). https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202500944
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DOI
10.1002/smll.202500944