The Electrical and Mechanical Characteristics of Conductive PVA/PEDOT:PSS Hydrogel Foams for Soft Strain Sensors
Conductive hydrogels are of interest for highly flexible sensor elements. We compare conductive hydrogels and hydrogel foams in view of strain-sensing applications. Polyvinyl alcool (PVA) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT:PSS) are used for the formulation of conductive hydrogels. For hydrog...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/24/2/570 |
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| author | Florian E. Jurin Cédric C. Buron Eleonora Frau Stefan del Rossi Silvia Schintke |
| author_facet | Florian E. Jurin Cédric C. Buron Eleonora Frau Stefan del Rossi Silvia Schintke |
| author_sort | Florian E. Jurin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Conductive hydrogels are of interest for highly flexible sensor elements. We compare conductive hydrogels and hydrogel foams in view of strain-sensing applications. Polyvinyl alcool (PVA) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT:PSS) are used for the formulation of conductive hydrogels. For hydrogel foaming, we have investigated the influence of dodecylbenzenesulfonate (DBSA) as foaming agent, as well as the influence of air incorporation at various mixing speeds. We showed that DBSA acting as a surfactant, already at a concentration of 1.12wt%, efficiently stabilizes air bubbles, allowing for the formulation of conductive PVA and PVA/PEDOT:PSS hydrogel foams with low density (<400 kg/m<sup>3</sup>) and high water uptake capacity (swelling ratio > 1500%). The resulting Young moduli depend on the air-bubble incorporation from mixing, and are affected by freeze-drying/rehydration. Using dielectric broadband spectroscopy under mechanical load, we demonstrate that PVA/PEDOT:PSS hydrogel foams exhibit a significant decrease in conductivity under mechanical compression, compared to dense hydrogels. The frequency-dependent conductivity of the hydrogels exhibits two plateaus, one in the low frequency range, and one in the high frequency range. We find that the conductivity of the PVA/PEDOT:PSS hydrogels decreases linearly as a function of pressure in each of the frequency regions, which makes the hydrogel foams highly interesting in view of compressive strain-sensing applications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T09:46:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b5b54493dc2a439b8a91a6cccb286000 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T09:46:52Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-b5b54493dc2a439b8a91a6cccb2860002024-01-29T14:16:28ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202024-01-0124257010.3390/s24020570The Electrical and Mechanical Characteristics of Conductive PVA/PEDOT:PSS Hydrogel Foams for Soft Strain SensorsFlorian E. Jurin0Cédric C. Buron1Eleonora Frau2Stefan del Rossi3Silvia Schintke4Institut UTINAM, UMR 6213 CNRS-UBFC, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté (UBFC), F-25030 Besançon Cedex, FranceInstitut UTINAM, UMR 6213 CNRS-UBFC, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté (UBFC), F-25030 Besançon Cedex, FranceLaboratory of Applied NanoSciences (COMATEC-LANS), University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES-SO), CH-1401 Yverdon-les-Bains, SwitzerlandLaboratory of Applied NanoSciences (COMATEC-LANS), University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES-SO), CH-1401 Yverdon-les-Bains, SwitzerlandLaboratory of Applied NanoSciences (COMATEC-LANS), University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES-SO), CH-1401 Yverdon-les-Bains, SwitzerlandConductive hydrogels are of interest for highly flexible sensor elements. We compare conductive hydrogels and hydrogel foams in view of strain-sensing applications. Polyvinyl alcool (PVA) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT:PSS) are used for the formulation of conductive hydrogels. For hydrogel foaming, we have investigated the influence of dodecylbenzenesulfonate (DBSA) as foaming agent, as well as the influence of air incorporation at various mixing speeds. We showed that DBSA acting as a surfactant, already at a concentration of 1.12wt%, efficiently stabilizes air bubbles, allowing for the formulation of conductive PVA and PVA/PEDOT:PSS hydrogel foams with low density (<400 kg/m<sup>3</sup>) and high water uptake capacity (swelling ratio > 1500%). The resulting Young moduli depend on the air-bubble incorporation from mixing, and are affected by freeze-drying/rehydration. Using dielectric broadband spectroscopy under mechanical load, we demonstrate that PVA/PEDOT:PSS hydrogel foams exhibit a significant decrease in conductivity under mechanical compression, compared to dense hydrogels. The frequency-dependent conductivity of the hydrogels exhibits two plateaus, one in the low frequency range, and one in the high frequency range. We find that the conductivity of the PVA/PEDOT:PSS hydrogels decreases linearly as a function of pressure in each of the frequency regions, which makes the hydrogel foams highly interesting in view of compressive strain-sensing applications.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/24/2/570hydrogelfoamresistive strain sensorselectrical broadband spectroscopyconductivitysurfactant |
| spellingShingle | Florian E. Jurin Cédric C. Buron Eleonora Frau Stefan del Rossi Silvia Schintke The Electrical and Mechanical Characteristics of Conductive PVA/PEDOT:PSS Hydrogel Foams for Soft Strain Sensors Sensors hydrogel foam resistive strain sensors electrical broadband spectroscopy conductivity surfactant |
| title | The Electrical and Mechanical Characteristics of Conductive PVA/PEDOT:PSS Hydrogel Foams for Soft Strain Sensors |
| title_full | The Electrical and Mechanical Characteristics of Conductive PVA/PEDOT:PSS Hydrogel Foams for Soft Strain Sensors |
| title_fullStr | The Electrical and Mechanical Characteristics of Conductive PVA/PEDOT:PSS Hydrogel Foams for Soft Strain Sensors |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Electrical and Mechanical Characteristics of Conductive PVA/PEDOT:PSS Hydrogel Foams for Soft Strain Sensors |
| title_short | The Electrical and Mechanical Characteristics of Conductive PVA/PEDOT:PSS Hydrogel Foams for Soft Strain Sensors |
| title_sort | electrical and mechanical characteristics of conductive pva pedot pss hydrogel foams for soft strain sensors |
| topic | hydrogel foam resistive strain sensors electrical broadband spectroscopy conductivity surfactant |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/24/2/570 |
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