Ionic liquid microemulsion-mediated heterogels with bicontinuous conductive channels for an ionic flexible sensor

Abstract

The incorporation of microstructural designs into flexible sensors has emerged as a potent strategy to enhance the capability of capturing fine information. Herein, an ionic liquid microemulsion-template strategy is presented to fabricate conductive heterogels with a bicontinuous structure of interpenetrating hydrophilic and hydrophobic phases, in which the hydrophilic ionic liquid domain functions as ion-rich channels and provides conductivity. The hydrophobic polymer domain serves as a supporting skeleton. Amphiphilic zwitterions anchored at the phase interface serve as effective ion transport sites to improve ion conduction. The bicontinuous structure enhances the mechanical performance, anti-swelling, thermal stability and ion conductivity of the heterogels. The assembled flexible sensor exhibits the sensitive detection of subtle muscle movements and specific recognition of speech, weight and temperature. This study is expected to provide innovative insights into the design and regulation of ion channels in flexible sensing devices.