Conductive polymer hydrogels are receiving considerable attention in applications such as soft robots and human-machine interfaces. Herein, a transparent and highly ionically conductive hydrogel that integrates sensing, UV-filtering, water-retaining, and anti-freezing performances is achieved by the organic combination of tannic acid-coated hydroxyapatite nanowires (TA@HAP NWs), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) chains, ethylene glycol (EG), and metal ions. The highly ionic conductivity of the hydrogel enables tensile strain, pressure, and temperature sensing capabilities. In particular, in terms of the hydrogel strain sensors based on ionic conduction, it has high sensitivity (GF = 2.84) within a wide strain range (350%), high linearity (R 2 = 0.99003), fast response (≈50 ms) and excellent cycle stability. In addition, the incorporated TA@HAP NWs act as a nano-reinforced filler to improve the mechanical properties and confer a UV-shielding ability upon the hydrogel due to its size effect and the characteristics of absorbing ultraviolet light waves, which can reflect and absorb short ultraviolet rays and transmit visible light. Meanwhile, owing to the water-locking effect between EG and water molecules, the hydrogel exhibits freezing resistance at low temperatures and moisture retention at high temperatures. This biocompatible and multifunctional conductive hydrogel provides new ideas for the design of novel ionic skin devices.

Nonaqueous rechargeable lithium–oxygen batteries (LOBs) are one of the most promising candidates for future electric vehicles and wearable/flexible electronics. However, their development is severely hindered by the sluggish kinetics of the ORR and OER during the discharge and charge processes. Here, we employ MOF-assisted spatial confinement and ionic substitution strategies to synthesize Ru single atoms riveted with nitrogen-doped porous carbon (Ru SAs-NC) as the electrocatalytic material. By using the optimized Ru0.3 SAs-NC as electrocatalyst in the oxygen-breathing electrodes, the developed LOB can deliver the lowest overpotential of only 0.55 V at 0.02 mA cm–2. Moreover, in-situ DEMS results quantify that the e–/O2 ratio of LOBs in a full cycle is only 2.14, indicating a superior electrocatalytic performance in LOB applications. Theoretical calculations reveal that the Ru–N4 serves as the driving force center, and the amount of this configuration can significantly affect the internal affinity of intermediate species. The rate-limiting step of the ORR on the catalyst surface is the occurrence of 2e– reactions to generate Li2O2, while that of the OER pathway is the oxidation of Li2O2. This work broadens the field of vision for the design of single-site high-efficiency catalysts with maximum atomic utilization efficiency for LOBs.

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