A Transparent Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Ion-Conducting Organohydrogel for Skin-Based Strain-Sensing Applications.

The increasing demand for cost-efficient and user-friendly wearable electronic devices has led to the development of stretchable electronics that are both cost-effective and capable of maintaining sustained adhesion and electrical performance under duress. In this study, we report on a novel physically crosslinked Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-based hydrogel that serves as a transparent, strain-sensing skin adhesive for motion monitoring. By incorporating Zn 2+ into the ice-templated PVA gel, we observed a densified amorphous structure through optical and scanning electron microscopy, and found that the material can stretch up to 800% strain according to tensile tests. Fabrication in a binary glycerol:water solvent resulted in electrical resistance in the kiloohm range, a gauge factor of 0.84, and ionic conductivity on the scale of 10 -4 S cm -1 , making it a potentially low-cost candidate for a stretchable electronic material. This study characterizes the relationship between improved electrical performance and polymer-polymer interactions through spectroscopic techniques, which play a role in the transport of ionic species through the material. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.