A dual crosslinking strategy to fabricate hemicellulose-based tough hydrogels for flexible sensors and triboelectric nanogenerator applications

Conductive hydrogels have emerged as auspicious materials for applications in flexible sensors and triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). Nevertheless, enhancing mechanical robustness, adhesive properties, electrochemical performance, and signal stability under extreme strain conditions remains a significant challenge, particularly for specialized sensor applications and energy harvesting through TENGs. Herein, we report the synthesis of double cross-linked network conductive hydrogels employing divinylbenzene‑sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles and esterified hemicellulose as cross-linking agents, in conjunction with MXene as the conductive filler. The synthesized hydrogels demonstrated exceptional super-stretchability (4844 %), robust self-adhesive properties (12.3 KPa on pigskin), high sensitivity (GF = 2.36, pressure sensitivity = 0.59 KPa −1 ), superior electrical conductivity (1.93 mS/cm), and a broad and stable sensing range (tensile range: 0–1500 %, compressive range: 0–0.3 MPa). Owing to the hydrogel's rapid and stable signal responsiveness, it exhibits significant potential for applications in human motion detection and specialized signal recognition. Additionally, the assembled TENGs demonstrated outstanding energy harvesting performance. This research provides novel insights into fabricating flexible sensors and TENG hydrogels with superior mechanical, adhesive, and electrochemical properties.