Fabrication of Nanocomposite Hydrogels Based on Cellulose Nanocrystals and Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for Human Motion Monitoring

In this study, a flexible sensor is successfully fabricated using self-healing nanocomposite hydrogels for monitoring human movement. The eco-friendly cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are used as nano-reinforcing materials, and the mechanical properties and self-healing efficiency of the materials are improved. The self-healing efficiency of hydrogels are realized by introducing a variety of reversible non-covalent interactions such as hydrogen bonding, borax chelation, and metal coordination. Notably, the mechanical strength and self-healing efficiency of these nanocomposite hydrogels can reach 2.8 MPa and 89.9%, respectively. Importantly, these self-healing nanocomposite hydrogels have been widely used in wearable flexible sensors to achieve high sensitivity to large-scale human movement. It is of great significance to design functional materials with good biocompatibility, sensitivity, and mechanical strength for wearable sensors.