Material Design for 3D Multifunctional Hydrogel Structure Preparation

Abstract

Hydrogels are recognized as one of the most promising materials for e‐skin devices because of their unique applicable functionalities such as flexibility, stretchability, biocompatibility, and conductivity. Beyond the excellent sensing functionalities, the e‐skin devices further need to secure a target‐oriented 3D structure to be applied onto various body parts having complex 3D shapes. However, most e‐skin devices are still fabricated in simple 2D film‐type devices, and it is an intriguing issue to fabricate complex 3D e‐skin devices resembling target body parts via 3D printing. Here, a material design guideline is provided to prepare multifunctional hydrogels and their target‐oriented 3D structures based on extrusion‐based 3D printing. The material design parameters to realize target‐oriented 3D structures via 3D printing are systematically derived from the correlation between material design of hydrogels and their gelation characteristics, rheological properties, and 3D printing processability for extrusion‐based 3D printing. Based on the suggested material design window, ion conductive self‐healable hydrogels are designed and successfully applied to extrusion‐based 3D printing to realize various 3D shapes.

Materials and design strategies for stretchable electroluminescent devices

“…In addition, their electrical/optical/mechanical properties should be maintained even after mechanical deformations. To date, various inherently stretchable conductors, including conductive polymers, 94 conductive hydrogels, 95,96 and conductive nanomaterial networks [97][98][99][100][101][102][103][104] (i.e., nanoparticles, nanowires, nanoflakes, nanosheets, and their hybrids), have been investigated as deformable electrodes. However, the development of intrinsically stretchable semiconductor materials for charge transport or emissive layers is still in the early stage.…”

Soft Bioelectronics Based on Nanomaterials

“…Another strategy to render the bioelectronics stretchable is to adopt intrinsically soft materials such as elastomer and hydrogel (Figure B). − Stretchable conductive nanocomposites composed of conductive nanomaterials and elastic polymers , (including hydrogels , ) have been proposed. , These nanocomposites exhibit outstanding thermal, , electrical, and mechanical performances such as high conductivity under large applied strains and low modulus similar to that of human tissues. The key principle in this unique material property is the formation of a highly percolated network of conductive fillers within the soft, elastic polymer matrix.…”