Bioinspired Shape Reconfigurable, Printable, and Conductive "E-Skin" Patch with Robust Antibacterial Properties for Human Health Sensing

초록

Conductive hydrogel-based flexible electronic skin, or "E-skin," patches have garnered significant attention in biomedical engineering due to their capability to sense and detect real-time human motion, health metrics, and environmental changes. Nonetheless, challenges such as precision fabrication, enhanced flexibility, superior self-healing, hydrophilicity, and insufficient bioadhesive properties impede their clinical application and limit their advancement in wearable bioelectronics. In this context, the development of a highly flexible, shape-reconfigurable, stretchable, and printable conductive "E-skin" patch for real-time human motion, humidity, and temperature sensing. This utilizes a polyvinyl alcohol/gelatin/carbon nanotubes/cellulose nanocrystals (PVA/Gelatin/CNTs/CNCs or PVG/NC) based hydrogel inspired by slime molds. Modifying PVG with CNTs and CNCs enhances the mechanical and viscoelastic properties, thereby facilitating high-resolution direct ink writing (DIW) based 3D printing. The resulting slime-like "E-skin" demonstrates an electrical conductivity of approximate to 5 +/- 0.25 S m-1, with exceptional stretchability (approximate to 1000%). The nanocomposite "E-skin" also displays outstanding bioadhesive properties and multiple sensing capabilities for human motion, temperature, and humidity under ambient conditions. Furthermore, the PVG/NC showcases remarkable near-infrared (NIR) responsive attributes, which can be leveraged for eradicating pathogenic bacteria in chronic wounds and exhibit excellent cytocompatibility. This research holds immense promise for future wearable bioelectronics, particularly for non-invasive medical diagnostics.

키워드