Anti-Freezing and Ultrasensitive Zwitterionic Betaine Hydrogel-Based Strain Sensor for Motion Monitoring and Human–Machine Interaction
Yanqi Yin, Rui Xie, Zewei Sun, Tianzong Jiang, Bingchen Zhou, Yan Yu, He Ding, Shili Gai, Piaoping Yang
Abstract
Ultrasensitive and reliable conductive hydrogels are significant in the construction of human-machine twinning systems. However, in extremely cold environments, freezing severely limits the application of hydrogel-based sensors. Herein, building on biomimetics, a zwitterionic hydrogel was elaborated for human-machine interaction employing multichemical bonding synergies and experimental signal analyses. The covalent bonds, hydrogen bonds, and electrostatic interactions construct a dense double network structure favorable for stress dispersion and hydrogen bond regeneration. In particular, zwitterions and ionic conductors maintained excellent strain response (99 ms) and electrical sensitivity (gauge factor = 14.52) in the dense hydrogel structure while immobilizing water molecules to enhance the weather resistance (-68 °C). Inspired by the high sensitivity, zwitterionic hydrogel-based strain sensors and remote-control gloves were designed by analyzing the experimental signals, demonstrating promising potential applications within specialized flexible materials and human-machine symbiotic systems.