Tough gelatin-based biogels for wearable sensors

Flexible wearable sensors that can intimately adhere to the human body for real-time monitoring of human activities and physiological signals have attracted great attention owing to their potential in personalized healthcare and human-machine interfaces. Gelatin-based biogels are promising materials in wearable sensors due to their good biocompatibility, biodegradability, and sustainability. However, conventional gelatin-based biogels are usually weak and brittle (tensile strength < 10 kPa and stretchability < 50%), and thus cannot be applied in flexible wearable devices. Therefore, further efforts are needed to engineer tough gelatin-based biogels that meet the demands of flexible wearable sensors. In this perspective, we summarize recent progress in designing tough gelatin-based biogels and their wide applications in wearable sensing devices, while highlighting potential future directions in this field.