Super Robust, Anti-Bacterial Polyurethane Ionogel with High Sensitivity and Hydrophobicity

Ionogel based on ionic liquids plays a vital role in wearable electronic devices. In this study, a robust and anti-bacterial ionogel with high sensitivity and hydrophobicity is synthesized by adding 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide to thermoplastic polyurethanes at a ratio of 1:1. The ionogel not only demonstrates tensile strength of 23.1 MPa and elongation at break of 1008%, but also exhibits excellent fatigue resistance with low residual strain (8%) and small hysteresis loop. Ionic liquid makes the ionogel have high-temperature stability (T5% near 300°C) and low Tg (-63.3°C). Due to the anti-bacterial property of ionic liquid, the ionogel formed by ionic liquid has anti-bacterial property, with up to 99% inhibition against E. coli and S. aureus. The sensor prepared with the ionogel shows a Gauge Factor of 1.8, with a short response time (128 ms) and a stable induction signal under water and at low temperature. Due to those performance characteristics, we believe that the study could provide insights for subsequent research on ionogel-based wearable electronic devices, for instance, the development of electronic skin in the leather industry