A tough semi-dry hydrogel electrode with anti-bacterial properties for long-term repeatable non-invasive EEG acquisition

Abstract Non-invasive brain-computer interfaces (NI-BCIs) have garnered significant attention due to their safety and wide range of applications. However, developing non-invasive electroencephalogram (EEG) electrodes that are highly sensitive, comfortable to wear, and reusable has been challenging due to the limitations of conventional electrodes. Here, we introduce a simple method for fabricating semi-dry hydrogel EEG sensors with antibacterial properties, enabling long-term, repeatable acquisition of EEG. By utilizing N-acryloyl glycinamide and hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan, we have prepared electrodes that not only possess good mechanical properties (compression modulus 65 kPa) and anti-fatigue properties but also exhibit superior antibacterial properties. These electrodes effectively inhibit the growth of both Gram-negative (E. coli) and Gram-positive (S. epidermidis) bacteria. Furthermore, the hydrogel maintains stable water retention properties, resulting in an average contact impedance of less than 400 Ω measured over 12 hours, and an ionic conductivity of 0.39 mS/cm. Cytotoxicity and skin irritation tests have confirmed the high biocompatibility of the hydrogel electrodes. In N170 event-related potential (ERP) tests conducted on human volunteers, we successfully captured the expected ERP signal waveform, comparable to that of traditional wet electrodes. Moreover, contact impedance on the scalps remained below 100 kΩ for 12 hours, while wet electrodes became unable to detect signals after 7–8 hours due to dehydration. In summary, our hydrogel electrodes are capable of detecting ERPs over extended periods in an easy-to-use manner with antibacterial properties. This reduces the risk of bacterial infections associated with prolonged reuse and expands the potential of NI-BCIs in daily life.