2026-10-11T20:09:00Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/34021755 2026-09-29T07:05:57Z category_1 category_146 category_915 category_7 category_13 category_15 category_21 category_873 category_734 category_128 portal_63 item_type_6 month_year_09_2026

Fabrication of Mechanically Enhanced Self-Healing Hydrogels Based on the Synergistic Effect of Curcumin and CMC-Na for Strain-Sensing Applications Yanru Cui (3259320) Jiayu Liu (3951515) Rui Zhang (13940) Pengtao Liu (3666847) Biophysics Space Science Physical Sciences not elsewhere classified Medicine Genetics Neuroscience Biotechnology Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified Hematology sodium carboxymethyl cellulose metal coordination interactions issues often lead ideal candidate material functional reinforcement phase fold enhancement compared superior properties demonstrate healing hydrogels based external mechanical damage mechanically enhanced self 3 +</ sup stable sensing performance flexible strain sensors hydrogel without cmc mechanical properties sensing performance healing hydrogel strain sensors sensing applications hydrogel sensors thereby limiting tensile strength synergistic effect simultaneously enhance practical applications irreversible degradation ionic conductivity hydrogel exhibits highly susceptible gauge factor electrical conductivity cyclic stretching approximately 5 12 kpa 0 wt In practical applications, hydrogel sensors are required to withstand continuous tensile deformation and are highly susceptible to external mechanical damage such as puncture. These issues often lead to irreversible degradation of sensing performance, thereby limiting their further application. In this study, a self-healing hydrogel was fabricated for strain sensors by combining Schiff base reactions with metal coordination interactions. Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-Na) was introduced as a functional reinforcement phase, and an optimal CMC-Na content of 1.0 wt % was found to simultaneously enhance both the electrical conductivity and mechanical properties. The resulting PAA/PEI/CMC-Na–Cur–Al³⁺ hydrogel exhibits an ionic conductivity of 1.07 S/m and a tensile strength of 77.12 kPa, yielding an approximately 5-fold enhancement compared to the hydrogel without CMC-Na. The hydrogel sensor also demonstrates a gauge factor of 2.15 and stable sensing performance over 2500 s of cyclic stretching. It is capable of detecting human joint movements and can be applied as a stylus. These superior properties demonstrate that the PAA/PEI/CMC-Na–Cur–Al³⁺ hydrogel is an ideal candidate material for flexible strain sensors. 2026-09-29T00:00:00Z Text Journal contribution 10.1021/acsapm.6c02685.s001 https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Fabrication_of_Mechanically_Enhanced_Self-Healing_Hydrogels_Based_on_the_Synergistic_Effect_of_Curcumin_and_CMC-Na_for_Strain-Sensing_Applications/34021755 CC BY-NC 4.0