Issue 16, 2020

From design to applications of stimuli-responsive hydrogel strain sensors

Abstract

Stimuli-responsive hydrogel strain sensors that synergize the advantages of both soft-wet hydrogels and smart functional materials have attracted rapidly increasing interest for exploring the opportunities from material design principles to emerging applications in electronic skins, health monitors, and human–machine interfaces. Stimuli-responsive hydrogel strain sensors possess smart and on-demand ability to specifically recognize various external stimuli and convert them into strain-induced mechanical, thermal, optical, and electrical signals. This review presents an up-to-date summary over the past five years on hydrogel strain sensors from different aspects, including material designs, gelation/fabrication methods, stimuli-responsive principles, and sensing performance. Hydrogel strain sensors are classified into five major categories based on the nature of the stimuli, and representative examples from each category are carefully selected and discussed in terms of structures, response mechanisms, and potential medical applications. Finally, current challenges and future perspectives of hydrogel strain sensors are tentatively proposed to stimulate more and better research in this emerging field.

Graphical abstract: From design to applications of stimuli-responsive hydrogel strain sensors

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
27 Nov. 2019
Accepted
13 Janv. 2020
First published
13 Janv. 2020

J. Mater. Chem. B, 2020,8, 3171-3191

Author version available

From design to applications of stimuli-responsive hydrogel strain sensors

D. Zhang, B. Ren, Y. Zhang, L. Xu, Q. Huang, Y. He, X. Li, J. Wu, J. Yang, Q. Chen, Y. Chang and J. Zheng, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2020, 8, 3171 DOI: 10.1039/C9TB02692D

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