An Integrated All-Natural Conductive Supramolecular Hydrogel Wearable Biosensor with Enhanced Biocompatibility and Antibacterial Properties
Mengqian Li, Shuoxuan Wang, Yuan Li, Xiaoyi Meng, Yuping Wei, Yong Wang, Yu Chen, Yin Xiao, Yue Cheng
Abstract
Conductive hydrogels exhibit tremendous potential for wearable bioelectronics, biosensing, and health monitoring applications, yet concurrently enhancing their biocompatibility and antimicrobial properties remains a long-standing challenge. Herein, we report an all-natural conductive supramolecular hydrogel (GT 5 -DACD 2 -B) prepared via the Schiff base reaction between the biofriendly dialdehyde cyclodextrin and gelatin. The potent antibacterial agent fusidic acid (FA) is incorporated through host–guest inclusion, enabling 100% inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus proliferation. The biocompatibility of our hydrogel is bolstered with tannic acid (TA) facilitating antibacterial effects through interactions with gelatin, while borax augments conductivity. This supramolecular hydrogel not only exhibits stable conductivity and rapid response characteristics but also functions as a flexible sensor for monitoring human movement, facial expressions, and speech recognition. Innovatively integrating biocompatibility, antimicrobial activity, and conductivity into a single system, our work pioneers a paradigm for developing multifunctional biosensors with integrated antibacterial functionalities, paving the way for advanced wearable bioelectronics with enhanced safety and multifunctionality.