Sustainable, temperature-tolerant, dual network conductive pressure sensitive adhesive from cellulose and rosin for wearable sensing

Conductive pressure sensitive adhesives (PSA) used for wearable and smart electronic sensors have attracted a significant amount of attention recently. However, achieving multifunctional conductive PSA with the feature of temperature tolerance and sustainability via a convenient and environment-friendly approach still remains challenge. Herein, a novel cellulose-rosin based poly(esterimide) (PEI) was first prepared by esterification and imidization. Then, the cellulose-rosin based PEI was integrated with polymerizable deep eutectic solvents (PDES, 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate and triethanolamine as hydrogen bond donor, choline chloride as hydrogen bond receptor) and performed UV-induced polymerization for formation of the conductive PSA with dual network (DN). The DN structure and the existence of extensive hydrogen bonds endowed these cellulose-rosin based conductive PSA with excellent adhesion property (shear resistance more than 70 h, tack of 14.6 N and 180° peel strength of 148.1 N/m, are higher than that of some typical commercial PSA), exceptional UV-blocking, solvent-resistance (usable in low polar solvent) and temperature tolerance (perform well between −25 °C to 140 °C). Furthermore, these conductive PSA could be used as wearable sensor to monitor subtle movements and achieve real-time monitoring of interface adhesion states even under extreme environmental conditions. This work provides a green strategy for the next-generation of multifunctional PSA.