Wireless monolithic flexible zinc-ion battery–pressure sensor enabled by a tough anti-freezing hydrogel electrolyte

Developing wearable sensors that integrate self-powering capability, reliable static and dynamic pressure detection, and miniaturized wireless signal processing remains a formidable challenge. Here, we propose a material–device–system co-design strategy to construct an untethered, all-weather, monolithic flexible zinc-ion battery–pressure sensor enabled by a tough anti-freezing hydrogel, a co-anode architecture, and a miniaturized wireless module. At the material level, a tough, anti-freezing PAM/CMCS-DMSO-Zn hydrogel serves as the core. It combines a low freezing point, superior toughness, fatigue resistance, and high ionic conductivity, enabling a dual role as an active pressure-sensing layer and a stable battery electrolyte. At the device level, a nylon-mesh-spaced co-anode architecture isolates the hydrogel from the Zn anode at rest, establishing a zero-output state that eliminates standby power. Upon loading, interfacial impedance modulation ensures static and dynamic pressure detection with rapid response and recovery times of 20 and 30 ms, respectively. At the system level, integrating the device with a custom printed circuit board creates an end-to-end microsystem for signal acquisition, processing, and wireless transmission, which we successfully validated across diverse harsh conditions. Ultimately, this co-design bridges hydrogel chemistry under extreme conditions with self-powered wearable electronics, providing a versatile paradigm for all-weather, wireless IoT sensing nodes.