Fabrication of highly stretchable composite organohydrogel for strain sensors with high sensitivity and broad temperature tolerance

Elastically stretchable conductive hydrogels have garnered significant scholarly interest for their potential applications in wearable sensing technologies. Yet, these highly elastic hydrogels often display diminished sensory capacities, particularly under conditions of severe thermal variation. This investigation unveils a highly stretchable composite organohydrogel distinguished by its superior sensory proficiency and resilience to harsh thermal environments. Encapsulating carbonized crepe paper (CCP) within a hydrophobic association-driven organohydrogel-crafted through the micellar copolymerization of hydrophobic stearyl methacrylate with hydrophilic acrylamide, and incorporation of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and Al3+ in a binary solvent of glycerol and water-we attained a high stretchability of 3865 %, in conjunction with augmented tensile strength and sensory acuity. Moreover, this composite demonstrates a gauge factor of 263.1 for strains ranging from 400 to 550 %, a detection threshold of 0.1 %, swift response/recovery times (161/152 ms), and sustained durability over 1000 cycles at a 100 % strain. Such attributes facilitate its deployment in the realms of health monitoring, activity sensing, gesture recognition, and wireless motion control, even under extreme thermal conditions, heralding a pioneering strategy for the creation of cost-efficient, high-efficacy electronic conductive hydrogels.