Preparation and application of a stretchable, conductive and temperature-sensitive dual-network nanocomposite hydrogel

Conductive hydrogel has received extensive attention in the design and application of flexible electronic equipment, due to its flexibility, easy processing, good sensitivity and excellent electrochemical performance. In this study, we designed a stretchable conductive and temperature-sensitive dual-network nanocomposite hydrogel in a simple one-pot method. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to characterize the nanocomposite hydrogel. The formation of the double cross-linked network greatly improves the mechanical properties of the nanocomposite hydrogel, and continuous electron transport path formed by MWCNTs dispersed in a hydrogel network endows the nanocomposite hydrogel great conductive behavior and the hydrogel exhibited a stable relative resistance change during the tensile deformation process. The nanocomposite hydrogel displayed great application potential in wearable devices, smart robots, and flexible strain sensors.