Coordination-enhanced ionic elastomers: Durable, self-healing, and multimodal sensors for wearable electronics and robotics

Flexible wearable electronics are essential for applications in healthcare, soft robotics, and human–machine interfaces. However, replicating the multifunctional capabilities of human skin—such as mechanical robustness, high elasticity, self-healing, and multimodal sensing—remains a challenge. Herein, we introduce pyridine ligands into the polymer chain segments, coordinating with Zn 2+ ions to establish a non-covalent, cross-linked network. This structure is further integrated with ionic liquids to craft recyclable, multimodal sensing ionic elastomers. These elastomers boast robust mechanical properties with a tensile strength of 5.3 MPa and extraordinary toughness, reaching 57.9 MJ/m 3 . Additionally, they withstand up to 1400 tensile cycles. The wide sensing range of these materials—strain (5 %−80 %), pressure (2–8 kPa), and temperature (25–60 °C)—makes them ideal for tactile applications in wearable ionic skins and robotic arms. This enables real-time monitoring of both human and machine states, significantly advancing the capabilities of wearable electronics, robotics, and human–computer interfaces. The impressive performance of these ionic elastomers heralds a new era in multimodal sensing technology.