Wetting‐Enabled Three‐Dimensional Interfacial Polymerization (WET‐DIP) for Bioinspired Anti‐Dehydration Hydrogels

Abstract

AbstractAnti‐dehydration hydrogels have attracted considerable attention due to their promising applications in stretchable sensors, flexible electronics, and soft robots. However, anti‐dehydration hydrogels prepared by conventional strategies inevitably depend on additional chemicals or suffer from cumbersome preparation processes. Here, inspired by the succulent Fenestraria aurantiaca a one‐step wetting‐enabled three‐dimensional interfacial polymerization (WET‐DIP) strategy for constructing organogel‐sealed anti‐dehydration hydrogels is developed. By virtue of the preferential wetting on the hydrophobic‐oleophilic substrate surfaces, the organogel precursor solution can spread on the three‐dimensional (3D) surface and encapsulate the hydrogel precursor solution, forming anti‐dehydration hydrogel with 3D shape after in situ interfacial polymerization. The WET‐DIP strategy is simple and ingenious, and accessible to discretionary 3D‐shaped anti‐dehydration hydrogels with a controllable thickness of the organogel outer layer. Strain sensors based on this anti‐dehydration hydrogel also exhibit long‐term stability in signal monitoring. This WET‐DIP strategy shows great potentialities for constructing hydrogel‐based devices with long‐term stability.