Self‐Healing Sericin/ MXene Composite Hydrogel With Low Hysteresis for Sensing Applications

ABSTRACT Conductive hydrogels often suffer from structural damage, fatigue, and signal drift under repeated deformation, limiting their long‐term performance in flexible sensing. To overcome these challenges, this study developed a sericin‐MXene/phenylboronic acid‐polyacrylamide (PADS‐MXene) composite hydrogel by copolymerizing 3‐acrylamidophenylboronic acid with acrylamide and incorporating polydopamine‐modified sericin‐functionalized MXene. In this system, the polydopamine‐modified sericin (PDA‐SS) not only expanded the interlayer spacing of MXene and prevented nanosheet aggregation but also introduced polar functional groups, strengthening hydrogen bonding between MXene and the polyacrylamide network. The resulting hydrogel exhibits excellent mechanical properties, with a fracture strength of 60 kPa and a fracture strain of 380%, coupled with low hysteresis (1.65% after 30 cycles), and efficient self‐healing ability. MXene also enhances its high electrical conductivity and photothermal response, enabling rapid 20°C within 300 s under near‐infrared light. Functioning as a wearable strain sensor, the hydrogel can reliably monitor movements across various parts of the human body and maintain stable performance even after 2000 cycles at 50% strain. It also enables handwriting posture correction via pressure distribution and Morse code messaging via short/long presses for emergency communication. These features highlight its potential for durable, multifunctional flexible sensing systems.