Tough and conductive polymer hydrogel based on double network for photo-curing 3D printing
Xueyuan Ding, Runping Jia, Zuzhong Gan, Yong Du, Dayang Wang, Xiaowei Xu
Abstract
Abstract Conductive hydrogels (CHs) have attracted significant attention in wearable equipment and soft sensors due to their high flexibility and conductivity. However, CHs with high-strength and free-structure still need to be further explored. Herein, 3D printing high-strength conductive polymer hydrogels (CPHs) based on a double network was prepared. Firstly, PHEA-PSS hydrogels were prepared by copolymerizing 2-Hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) with 4-Vinylbenzenesulfonic acid (SSS) using a photo-curing 3D printer. Then 3, 4-Ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) was in situ polymerized in the network of PHEA-PSS to obtain the PHEA-PSS/PEDOT hydrogels. It can not only satisfy the printing of complex spatial structures, but also has high mechanical and electrical properties. When the content of EDOT is 12 wt%, the tensile strength of the PHEA-PSS/PEDOT hydrogels is close to 8 MPa, the electrical conductivity reach to 1.2 S cm −1 and the elasticity remain unchanged. Due to the presence of hydrogen and coordination bonds, CPHs have certain self-heal ability. In addition, the resistance of the hydrogel is sensitive to the changes of external pressure. The results show that CPHs can be used as a 3D printing material for flexible sensors.