Humidity resilient ionogels for joint pressure monitoring

Abstract

Hydrogels have garnered substantial attention in the field of soft electronics due to their flexibility and tissue-like elasticity, making them ideal for interfacing with biological tissues and organs. However, they often suffer from low electrical conductivity and are prone to drying out over time due to water evaporation, limiting their long-term functionality. Ionogels, which address these limitations, have emerged as a promising alternative. These materials incorporate polymer networks swollen in ionic liquids or are formed by polymerizing monomers within ionic liquids. Ionic liquids endow ionogels with unique properties—such as ionic conductivity, non-volatility, and high thermal and electrochemical stability—making them suitable for a broad spectrum of applications, including wearable electronics, energy storage, and sensing technologies. Nonetheless, a persistent challenge with ionogels has been their hygroscopic nature, especially in humid or wet conditions, as in implantable biomedical devices. In such conditions, ionogels can absorb water, which disrupts their ionic pathways and can compromise their structural integrity—posing a critical concern for implantable applications where stable performance is required in the high-humidity and dynamic environment of the human body. 

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