Abstract:
Intelligent sensing materials demonstrate significant application potential in wearable devices and human-machine interaction. However, developing flexible sensors that combine environmental perception with mechanical stability remains a challenge. To address this need, this study employed a temperature-controlled photopolymerization method to integrate a rigid agarose (Agar) network with flexible poly(N-hydroxyethyl acrylamide) (pHEAA) and introduced NaCl, constructing an Agar-NaCl/pHEAA double-network hydrogel.By combining rigid and flexible networks, the hydrogel exhibits outstanding mechanical properties, achieving a tensile strain of
1600%, tensile strength of 700 kPa, Young’s modulus of 100 kPa, and toughness of
4300 kJ/m
3. Benefiting from dynamic interactions within the hydrogel, it also demonstrates excellent resilience (recovery rate < 120% after 700% strain cyclic stretching) and self-healing capability. Furthermore, the hydrogel exhibits high temperature sensitivity (TCR = 2.57) and strain-sensing performance (GF = 2.83), enabling stable monitoring of human motion signals and environmental temperature changes. These properties highlight its potential as a flexible sensor for advanced applications.