Flexible wearable electronics have recently driven the rapid development of conductive hydrogels with self-healing capabilities and tissue adhesiveness. Poly(vinyl alcohol)-borax (PB) based hydrogels exhibit ionic conductivity and rapid self-healing b...
Flexible wearable electronics have recently driven the rapid development of conductive hydrogels with self-healing capabilities and tissue adhesiveness. Poly(vinyl alcohol)-borax (PB) based hydrogels exhibit ionic conductivity and rapid self-healing behavior, but their practical application in wearable sensors is limited because of insufficient mechanical strength, limited conductivity, and poor adhesion. In this study, chitosan-gallic acid (CSGA) was introduced into the PB hydrogels to overcome these limitations. The CSGA incorporated hydrogels (PBCG) exhibited significantly improved tissue adhesion (3.44 kPa), mechanical strength (18.42 kPa), and electrical conductivity (0.40 S/m). The stabilization process induced self-crosslinking of CSGA, leading to the formation of a hydrogel (PBCG-S) crosslinked via dual dynamic covalent bonds (borate ester bond and Schiff base). The PBCG-S hydrogels demonstrated enhanced mechanical properties (30.7 kPa) and sensitivity (~100% strain, Gauge factor = 0.56) and exhibited excellent self-healing properties (93%). Finally, the PBCG-S hydrogels proved their applicability as a wearable sensor capable of detecting a wide range of body movements and recognition of voice and handwriting.