Here, polyimide (PI) was introduced
as a binder and enhancer of
graphene oxide (GO) and MXene sheets to prepare robust rGO/MXene/PI
(GMP) composite aerogels with good mechanical elasticity, high conductivity,
excellent thermal stability, and reliable heat insulation ability.
The unique physical and chemical interactions among GO, MXene nanosheets,
and the PI precursor enhance the three-dimensional network framework
of aerogels. As a sensing material, the GMP aerogel with a layer-strut network structure prepared
by directional freezing has a low density (8.97–12.71 mg/cm3), high conductivity (3.08 S/m), significant reversible compression
(90%), and excellent fatigue resistance (10,000 cycles). The piezoresistive
sensor based on the GMP composite aerogel can quickly detect a tiny
strain, which could be further used for pulse beating, breathing,
vibration, finger bending, and other human health monitoring. With
the assistance of PI, the aerogel also presents high thermal insulation
performance (0.022 W/(m·k)) and excellent low-temperature tolerance
(−196 °C), showing wide application potential in many
fields.
Flexible
gel-based strain sensors have made remarkable progress,
emerging as promising candidates for wearable electronic devices.
Too much attention was paid to the sensing sensitivity of the conventional
gel sensors, and their environmental tolerance and green recyclability
were ignored. This work designs a high ion conductive, multienvironmentally
adaptable, and recyclable eutectogel, with gelatin-strengthened poly(vinyl
alcohol) (PVA) and deep eutectic solvent (DES) as the gelator and
disperser, respectively. Interestingly, the cross-linked network composed
of PVA and gelatin polymer molecules endows the eutectogel with an
ultimate tensile strength of 6.8 MPa. Moreover, the ionic liquid-like
characteristic of DES at room temperature and abundant hydrogen bonds
in DES can simultaneously improve the ionic conductivity (0.12 S/m)
and environmental tolerance of the eutectogel. A reliable strain sensor
based on this eutectogel exhibits high stability over a wide temperature
range (−20∼100 °C) and harsh chemical environments
(acid and base). Furthermore, this recyclable eutectogel can be easily
disintegrated and regelatinized via a simple solvation–evaporation
procedure, while retaining its initial mechanical and sensing performances.
This study creates a candidate for applications in wearable electronic
devices and sheds light on minimizing the environmental impact of
other electronic wastes.
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