Wearable temperature sensors with high sensitivity and
stability
hold great potential for human health monitoring. However, hydrogels,
which are commonly used for wearable devices, often show poor thermal
and electrical conductivity and are susceptible to dehydration and
freezing. Herein, we developed a frost- and dehydration-resistive
temperature sensor based on Fe2+/Ti2CT
x
/κ-carrageenan (CA)-polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogel.
The Fe2+ ions within the hydrogel existed in two forms:
as free ions and bonded ions. The free Fe2+ ions could
complex with water molecules, resulting in the improved resistance
to dehydration and freezing, as well as enhanced ionic conductivity
in the hydrogel. On the other hand, the remaining Fe2+ ions
acted as linkers to form coordination bonds with the sulfate groups
of CA chains, resulting in the greatly enhanced mechanical strength
of the hydrogel. In addition, the Ti2CT
x
nanosheet-based fillers formed a well-defined porous laminar
structure, which reduced the phonon scattering and improved the phonon
adsorption within the hydrogel. The Fe2+/Ti2CT
x
/CA-PAM hydrogel sensor exhibited
excellent temperature sensing performance including a good linearity
(R
2 = 0.998) within a broad working range
(−10 to 60 °C), high resolution (0.1 °C), and good
repeatability. Furthermore, the sensor was integrated into a wireless
system for continuous monitoring of body temperature, demonstrating
its potential in healthcare monitoring, electronic skins, and intelligent
robots.