2024 | Shounak Roy, Kaivalya A. Deo, Hung Pang Lee, John Soukar, Myeong Namkoong, Limei Tian, Amit Jaiswal, and Akhilesh K. Gaharwar*
The paper presents the development of a 3D-printed electronic skin (E-skin) that mimics the flexibility and stretchability of human skin while incorporating sensing capabilities for strain, pressure, and temperature. The E-skin is fabricated using a novel class of nanoengineered hydrogels with tunable electronic and thermal biosensing capabilities. The hydrogels are made by crosslinking thiolated pullulan (Pul-SH) with defect-rich molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) nanoassemblies and polydopamine (PDA) nanoparticles through a triple-crosslinking strategy involving defect-driven gelation, Michael addition, and ionic crosslinking. This approach results in a hydrogel with excellent flexibility, stretchability, adhesion, moldability, and electrical conductivity. The E-skin demonstrates precise detection of dynamic changes in strain, pressure, and temperature, making it suitable for applications such as human motion tracking, phonatory recognition, flexible touchpads, and temperature measurement. The 3D-printable nature of the hydrogels allows for custom design and fabrication of complex structures, enhancing their potential for real-world applications in robotics, wearable technology, and healthcare.The paper presents the development of a 3D-printed electronic skin (E-skin) that mimics the flexibility and stretchability of human skin while incorporating sensing capabilities for strain, pressure, and temperature. The E-skin is fabricated using a novel class of nanoengineered hydrogels with tunable electronic and thermal biosensing capabilities. The hydrogels are made by crosslinking thiolated pullulan (Pul-SH) with defect-rich molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) nanoassemblies and polydopamine (PDA) nanoparticles through a triple-crosslinking strategy involving defect-driven gelation, Michael addition, and ionic crosslinking. This approach results in a hydrogel with excellent flexibility, stretchability, adhesion, moldability, and electrical conductivity. The E-skin demonstrates precise detection of dynamic changes in strain, pressure, and temperature, making it suitable for applications such as human motion tracking, phonatory recognition, flexible touchpads, and temperature measurement. The 3D-printable nature of the hydrogels allows for custom design and fabrication of complex structures, enhancing their potential for real-world applications in robotics, wearable technology, and healthcare.