Stretch‐Induced Conductivity Enhancement in Highly Conductive and Tough Hydrogels

Abstract The resistance of gels and elastomers increases significantly with tensile strain, which reduces conductive stability and restricts their use in stable and reliable electronics. Here, highly conductive tough hydrogels composed of silver nanowires (AgNWs), liquid metal (LM), and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) are fabricated. The stretch‐induced orientations of AgNWs, deformable LM, and PVA nanocrystalline create conductive pathways, enhancing the mechanical properties of the hydrogels, including increased ultimate fracture stress (13‐33 MPa), strain (3000–5300%), and toughness (390.9–765.1 MJ m −3 ). Notably, the electrical conductivity of the hydrogels is significantly improved from 4.05 × 10 −3 to 24 S m…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Award: 52333002