Stretchable, rapid self-healing guar gum-poly(acrylic acid) hydrogels as wearable strain sensors for human motion detection based on Janus graphene oxide

Janus structure hydrogels: recent advances in synthetic strategies, biomedical microstructure and (bio)applications

Janus structure hydrogels (JSHs) are novel materials. Their primary fabrication methods and various applications have been widely reported. JSHs are primarily composed of Janus particles (JNPs) and polysaccharide components. They exhibit two distinct physical or chemical properties, generating intriguing characteristics due to their asymmetric structure. Normally, one side (adhesive interface) is predominantly constituted of polysaccharide components, primarily serving excellent adhesion. On the other side (functional surface), they integrate diverse functionalities, concurrently performing a plethora of synergistic functions. In the biomedical field, JSHs are widely applied in anti-adhesion, drug delivery, wound healing, and other areas. It also exhibits functions in seawater desalination and motion sensing. Thus, JSHs hold broad prospects for applications, and they possess significant research value in nanotechnology, environmental science, healthcare, and other fields. Additionally, this article proposes the challenges and future work facing these fields.

Design of Stretchable and Conductive Self-Adhesive Hydrogels as Flexible Sensors by Guar-Gum-Enabled Dynamic Interactions

The limited elasticity and inadequate bonding of hydrogels made from guar gum (GG) significantly hinder their widespread implementation in personalized wearable flexible electronics. In this study, we devise GG-based self-adhesive hydrogels by creating an interpenetrating network of GG cross-linked with acrylic, 4-vinylphenylboronic acid, and Ca2+. With the leverage of the dynamic interactions (hydrogen bonds, borate ester bonds, and coordination bonds) between -OH in GG and monomers, the hydrogel exhibits a high stretchability of 700%, superior mechanical stress of 110 kPa, and robust adherence to several substrates. The adhesion strength of 54 kPa on porcine skin is obtained. Furthermore, the self-adhesive hydrogel possesses stable conductivity, an elevated gauge factor (GF), and commendable durability. It can be affixed to the human body as a strain sensor to obtain precise monitoring of human movement behavior. Our research offers possibilities for the development of GG-based hydrogels and applications in wearable electronics and medical monitoring.

Janus hydrogels: merging boundaries in tissue engineering for enhanced biomaterials and regenerative therapies

In recent years, the design and synthesis of Janus hydrogels have witnessed a thriving development, overcoming the limitations of single-performance materials and expanding their potential applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Janus hydrogels, with their exceptional mechanical properties and excellent biocompatibility, have emerged as promising candidates for various biomedical applications, including tissue engineering and regenerative therapies. In this review, we present the latest progress in the synthesis of Janus hydrogels using commonly employed preparation methods. We elucidate the surface and interface interactions of these hydrogels and discuss the enhanced properties bestowed by the unique "Janus" structure in biomaterials. Additionally, we explore the applications of Janus hydrogels in facilitating regenerative therapies, such as drug delivery, wound healing, tissue engineering, and biosensing. Furthermore, we analyze the challenges and future trends associated with the utilization of Janus hydrogels in biomedical applications.

Hydrogels dressings based on guar gum and chitosan: Inherent action against resistant bacteria and fast wound closure

Hydrogels made with depolymerized guar gum, oxidized with theoretical oxidation degrees of 20, 35 and 50 %, were obtained via Schiff's base reaction with N-succinyl chitosan. The materials obtained were subjected to characterization by FT-IR, rheology, swelling, degradation, and morphology. Additionally, their gelation time categorized all three hydrogels as injectable. The materials' swelling degrees in Phosphate-Buffered Saline (PBS) were in the range of 26-35 g of fluid/g gel and their pore size distribution was heterogeneous, with pores varying from 67 to 93 μm. All hydrogels degraded in PBS solution, but maintained around 40 % of their initial mass after 28 days, which was more than enough time for wound healing. The biomaterials were also flexible, self-repairing, adhesive and cytocompatible and presented intrinsic actions, regardless of the presence of additives or antibiotics, against gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis) and gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli). However, the most pronounced bactericidal effect was against resistant Staphylococcus aureus - MRSA. In vivo assays, performed with 50 % oxidized gum gel, demonstrated that this material exerted anti-inflammatory effects, accelerating the healing process and restoring tissues by approximately 99 % within 14 days. In conclusion, these hydrogels have unique characteristics, making them excellent candidates for wound-healing dressings.

Soy Protein Isolate/Genipin-Based Nanoparticles for the Stabilization of Pickering Emulsion to Design Self-Healing Guar Gum-Based Hydrogels

Nowadays, stretchable self-healing hydrogels designed by biomass-based materials have gathered remarkable attention in numerous frontier fields such as wound healing, health monitoring issues, and electronic skin. In this study, soy protein isolate (SPI), a common plant protein, was cross-linked to nanoparticles (SPI NPs) by Genipin, (Gen) which was attracted from the native Geniposide. Oil-in-water (O/W) Pickering emulsion was formed by SPI NPs wrapping the linseed oil, and further implanted into poly(acrylic acid)/guar gum (PAA/GG)-based self-healing hydrogels by multiple reversible weak interactions. With the addition of Pickering emulsion, the hydrogels have achieved a remarkable self-healing ability (self-healing efficiency could reach 91.6% within 10 h) and mechanical properties (tensile strength of 0.89 MPa and strain of 853.2%). Therefore, these hydrogels with good reliable durability have outstanding application prospects in sustainable materials.

Self-healing, antibacterial, and conductive double network hydrogel for strain sensors

Multifunctional hydrogels have great potential in smart wearable technology, flexible electronic devices, and biomedical research. However, it is highly challenging to prepare unique conductive hydrogels with combined properties such as self-healing, self-adhesive, and antibacterial activity. In this regard, herein, a conductive double network hydrogel (ACBt-PAA/CMCs) was fabricated using carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCs), acrylic acid (AA), and alkaline calcium bentonite (ACBt) via a convenient approach. Owing to the hydrogen bond interaction between PAA and CMCs, the ACBt-PAA/CMCs double network structured hydrogels exhibited excellent self-healing (the tensile strength recovered to 74.3 % after 1 h) and adjustable mechanical properties, in which the fracture stress and strain can be easily adjusted in the range of 0.039 to 0.93 MPa and 564 to 2900 %, respectively. In addition, the ACBt-PAA/CMCs hydrogels exhibited the remarkable antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli (bacterial inhibition efficiency of ~99.99 %) and Staphylococcus aureus (bacterial inhibition efficiency of ~99.98 %). Furthermore, the ACBt-PAA/CMCs hydrogel based wearable skin exhibited an excellent real-time sensing performance for monitoring various motions, signifying outstanding sensing and self-adhesion properties. Considering the unique features such as self-healing, excellent adhesion, highly active strain sensing, and antibacterial activities making the ACBt-PAA/CMCs hydrogel is an excellent multifunctional conductive hydrogel. Hence, we believe that this proposed design method for the fabrication of smart and multifunctional conductive hydrogels, and this ACBt-PAA/CMCs hydrogel could be a promising candidate for flexible wearable materials, health monitoring, and beyond.

Tannic acid modified antifreezing gelatin organohydrogel for low modulus, high toughness, and sensitive flexible strain sensor

Current hydrogel strain sensors have met assorted essential requirements of wearing comfort, mechanical toughness, and strain sensitivity. However, an increment in the toughness of a hydrogel usually leads to an increase in elastic moduli that could be unfavorable for wearing comfort. In addition, traits of biofriendly and sustainability require synthesis of the hydrogels from natural polymer-based networks. We propose a novel strategy to fabricate an ionic conductive organohydrogel from natural biological macromolecule "gelatin" and polyacid "tannic acid" to resolve these challenges. Tannic acid modified the structure of the gelatin network in the ionic conductive organohydrogels, that not only led to an increase in toughness accompanying a decrease in elastic moduli but also headed to higher strain sensitivity and tunability. The proposed methodology exhibited tunable tensile modulus from 27 to 13 kPa, tensile strength from 287 to 325 kPa, elongation at fracture from 510 to 620%, toughness from 500 to 550 kJ/m³_, conductivity from 0.29 to 0.8 S/m, and strain sensitivity (GF = 1.4-6.5). Moreover, the proposed organohydrogel exhibited excellent freezing tolerance. This study provides a facile yet powerful strategy to tune the mechanical and electrical properties of organohydrogels which can be adapted to various wearable sensors.

An UV-photo and ionic dual responsive interpenetrating network hydrogel with shape memory and self-healing properties

Shape memory hydrogels have attracted extensive attention in fields such as artificial tissues, biomimetic devices and diagnostics, and intelligent biosensors. However, the practical applications were hindered by the absence of self-healing capability and multi-stimuli-responsiveness. To address these issues, we developed a shape memory hydrogel with self-healing and dual stimuli-response performance. The hydrogel system was constructed via an interpenetrating network consisting of in situ radical polymerization and host-guest interaction. The hydrogel exhibited rapid self-healing property, which can be stretched after self-healing for 1 min at 25 °C. Besides, the hydrogel displayed varied swelling performance in different light or solvent conditions. Moreover, the hydrogel showed a dual stimuli-responsive shape memory effect to ultraviolet (UV) light and ionic strength in 1 min. Such a shape memory hydrogel with self-healing ability and multi-stimuli-responsive properties will offer an option toward intelligent soft materials for biomedical and bionic research.

Graphene oxide composite hydrogels for wearable devices

For graphene oxide (GO) composite hydrogels, a two-dimensional GO material is introduced into them, whose special structure is used to improve their properties. GO contains abundant oxygen-containing functional groups, which can improve the mechanical properties of hydrogels and support the application needs. Especially, the unique-conjugated structure of GO can endow or enhance the stimulation response of hydrogels. Therefore, GO composite hydrogels have a great potential in the field of wearable devices. We referred to the works published in recent years, and reviewed from these aspects: (a) structure of GO; (b) factors affecting the mechanical properties of the composite hydrogel, including hydrogen bond, ionic bond, coordination bond and physical crosslinking; (c) stimuli and signals; (d) challenges. Finally, we summarized the research progress of GO composite hydrogels in the field of wearable devices, and put forward some prospects.