A multifunctional MXene-assembled anhydrous gel electronics

Hydrogel devices still cannot overcome the dehydration puzzle. This problem can be solved by using green deep eutectic solvents (DES) instead of water, but the formed gel lacks enough strength and functionality. Herein, we successfully assembled a function-integrated stable anhydrous gel in DES system using active MXene as a function-filler. First, Mxene can catalyze the rapid polymerization of monomers at room temperature. Then, it can also assemble/crosslink the gel through strong interactions with the polymer chains, which endow the gel with great stretchability (∼1750%), self-healing (∼100%), conductivity (1.5 × 10-2 S·m−1), and adhesion (∼7 kPa;pigskin). In addition, the gel also inherits the environmental adaptability of DES, which can achieve nearly 100% weight retention at 40 °C, even 80 °C. Importantly, the application potential of stable functionalized gels in ultra-anti-dryness bioelectrodes, self-healing strain sensors, and electric-generators have been explored and successively demonstrated. The rapid fabrication of functional materials in this new solvent system can be extended to other anhydrous polymer gels for on-demand development.