Dynamic Coordination of Hydrogen-Rich Bonds Drives Multifunctional Conductive Hydrogels for High-Performance Wearable Sensors

Despite the progress in hydrogel-based sensors, balancing mechanical resilience, environmental tolerance, and sensing precision remains challenging. Here, we report a multifunctional conductive hydrogel, SL-P(HEA-co-AA), synthesized via dynamic coordination between sodium lignosulfonate (SL), Ni ions, and copolymer networks in a glycerol/water binary solvent. The synergistic hydrogen bonding and reversible −COOH–Ni2+ coordination endows the hydrogel with exceptional stretchability (strain up to 1100%), rapid self-healing (64% recovery within 12 h), and robust adhesion to various substrates. In addition, the hydrogel exhibits antifreezing (−62 °C) and antidehydration (89.8% moisture retention after 7 days) properties, ensuring stability in harsh environments. As a strain sensor, it demonstrates high sensitivity (gauge factor = 5.17), ultrafast response/recovery (0.6/0.8 s), and durability (>14 days). Practical applications include real-time monitoring of joint movements (finger, wrist) and subtle physiological signals (facial expressions, respiration), validated through consistent resistance changes. This work offers a sustainable, scalable strategy to integrate material innovation with wearable technology, bridging the gap between laboratory design and real-world flexible sensing applications.