Synergistic Reinforcement of Poly( <i>N</i> -isopropylacrylamide- <i>co</i> -acrylamide) Hydrogels via Ionic Liquid-Induced Noncovalent Interactions for Dual-Responsive Wearable Sensors
). The strategic incorporation of the IL induces extensive noncovalent interactions, including hierarchical hydrogen bonding and electrostatic coupling, which refine the network into a stable, amorphous three-dimensional (3D) architecture. This IL-mediated structural reinforcement endows the ILH with exceptional stretchability (1153 ± 2%) and rapid elastic recovery. Benefiting from superior ionic conductivity, the ILH functions as a high-performance dual-modal sensor with a gauge factor of 2.68 and a temperature coefficient of resistance of -1.12%/°C. The ILH wearable sensor demonstrates high-fidelity tracking of complex knee rehabilitation movements (e.g., flexion and squats) while simultaneously monitoring localized thermal fluctuations relevant to postsurgical inflammation. This molecular engineering strategy provides a facile route to high-performance, multifunctional hydrogel interfaces for personalized healthcare and clinical monitoring.
Authors
- Jing An (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6422-2604)
- Hao Hang
- Minghong Fang
- Wenjing Cui
- Ying Zhou
Institutions
- Jiangnan University (CN)
- Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China (CN)
- Zhejiang Sci-Tech University (CN)
- Wuxi Fourth People's Hospital (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Langmuir
- Published
- 2026-03-31
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.5c06906
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Basic Research Program of Jiangsu Province
- Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities