Preparation of Collagen-based Ionic Hydrogel and its Application in Sensing Field

To address the problems of insufficient mechanical properties and insensitive electrical sensing of current collagen-based hydrogel sensing materials, this paper develops a new collagen-based ionic hydrogel with super stretchability and fast electrical signal response capability using collagen, AlCl₃·6H₂O and acrylic acid, and investigates the mechanical properties, conductivity and sensing properties of the hydrogel and its practical applications in the field of smart wear. The results show that owing to the introduction of collagen and Al³⁺ ions, the hydrogel can be endowed with high stretchability (>2000%) and excellent electrical conductivity (0.4 S/m). Meanwhile, the hydrogel can rapidly monitor 5%~300% tensile deformation within 203 ms. By mounting the hydrogel on the human skin, various human movements (such as finger flexion, arm movement, and human breathing) can be accurately monitored, showing broad application prospects in smart wear and medical diagnostics.