posted on 2024-02-29, 20:06authored byShuaijie Li, Yan Cheng, Hongnan Zhu, Min Xu, Hongying Lv, Zhuoer Wang, Guoming Liu, Hongzan Song
Ionogels have great potential for the development of
tissue-like,
soft, and stretchable ionotronics. However, conventional isotropic
ionogels suffer from poor mechanical properties, low efficient force
transmission, and tardy mechanoelectric response, hindering their
practical utility. Here, we propose a simple one-step method to fabricate
bioinspired anisotropic nanocomposite ionogels based on a combination
of strain-induced phase separation and mechanomodulation of ionic
conduction in the presence of attapulgite nanorods. These ionogels
show high stretchability (747.1% strain), tensile strength (6.42 MPa),
Young’s modulus (83.49 MPa), and toughness (18.08 MJ/m3). Importantly, the liquid crystalline domain alignment-induced
microphase separation and ionic conductivity enhancement during stretching
endow these ionogels with an unusual mechanoelectric response and
dual-programmable shape-memory properties. Moreover, the anisotropic
structure, good elasticity, and unique resistance–strain responsiveness
give the ionogel-based strain sensors high sensitivity, rapid response
time, excellent fatigue resistance, and unique waveform-discernible
strain sensing, which can be applied to real-time monitoring of human
motions. The findings offer a promising way to develop bioinspired
anisotropic ionogels to modulate the microstructure and properties
for practical applications in advanced ionotronics.