High‐Sensitivity and Flexible Motion Sensing Enabled by Robust, Self‐Healing Wood‐Based Anisotropic Hydrogel Composites
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.
Authors
- Yimin A. Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3807-8431)
- Kam Chiu Tam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7603-5635)
- Adam F. G. Leontowich (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1773-6458)
- Matthew Godwin
- Yunqi Cui (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2141-2843)
- Youchao Teng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3579-4579)
- Muhammad Shahidul Islam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4169-6502)
- Yongzan Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9499-5306)
- Zhilei Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1177-6985)
- T. C. Chung (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3123-944X)
- Zhe Su
Institutions
- University of Waterloo (CA)
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- Nanjing Forestry University (CN)
- University of Saskatchewan (CA)
- E-Da Hospital (TW)
- Canadian Light Source (Canada) (CA)
- I-Shou University (TW)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Small
- Published
- 2025-02-07
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202500944
- Citations
- 14
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 9.44
Funders
- Canadian Light Source
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada