Polysaccharide-tackified composite hydrogel for skin-attached sensors

Abstract

Flexible and conductive hydrogels have been widely used in the field of flexible wearable sensors. However, the traditional carbon-based composite hydrogel sensors tend to present weak adhesion and mechanical strength, limiting the sensitivity and reliability of practical applications. Here, a gum arabic-tackified reduced graphene oxide composite hydrogel is successfully fabricated. The introduction of gum arabic endows the hydrogel with high mechanical strength, and fatigue resistance, as well as robust adhesion on metal, plastic, glass, rubber, and skin. Furthermore, the reduced graphene oxide would improve the conductivity of hydrogels. As a result, the skin-attached hydrogel sensors featuring high sensitivity, fast response, and wide detection range were demonstrated for monitoring various mechanical stimuli and human motions. It is anticipated that the gum arabic-tackified skin-attached hydrogel sensors hold prospective applications in electronic skin, human–machine interfaces, and soft robotics.