Transforming a general design strategy into elastomer-crosslinked hybrid hydrogels with co-constructed hydrophobic–hydrophilic networks for electronic skin

Water-rich hydrogels closely mimic human tissues, offering excellent biocompatibility, yet they often fall short in mechanical strength. Conversely, hydrophobic elastomers possess superior mechanical robustness and durability but typically lack the necessary biocompatibility for many medical applications. Conventional design strategies often struggle to integrate hydrophilic hydrogels and hydrophobic elastomers into a single material entity due to their inherently incompatible natures. Here, we introduce a universal synthesis strategy for simultaneously constructing hydrophobic elastomer and hydrophilic hydrogel networks, creating macroscopically homogeneous, tough elastomer-crosslinked hybrid (TECH) hydrogels. These hybrids exhibit superior mechanical strength and self-recovery, efficient energy dissipation and mechanical enhancement through the reversible deformation of robust elastomer microspheres. Importantly, this design strategy allows for the creation of a diverse family of TECH gels, combining various elastomers and hydrogels, all of which exhibit high sensitivity, durability, and precise motion detection, making them ideal for wearable strain sensors and electronic skin in advanced robotics. This work introduces a straightforward yet innovative approach to develop hybrid elastomer-hydrogel systems, traditionally incompatible, by integrating multiple functionalities of enhanced durability, adaptability, and sensitivity, suitable for flexible electronics, robotics, and biomedical devices, significantly advancing materials design and expanding their application scopes.