Xanthan gum‐enhanced polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel toward flexible sensor

Abstract Ionic conductive hydrogels attracted much attention for applying as wearable sensors, but most hydrogel sensors were not strong enough to withstand repeated sensing because of their low mechanical strength. Here, xanthan gum and sodium chloride were introduced into the polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel system for constructing hydrogels with high mechanical strength due to the hydrogen bonds formed between polyvinyl alcohol and gum xanthan as well as the chain entanglement of polyvinyl alcohol. Meanwhile, the hydrogel was highly sensitive to mechanical deformation because of the existence of free ions provided by sodium chloride. As a result, the hydrogel could serve as sensors for perceiving various body motions, with the advantages of fast response, reproducibility and durability for repeated stretching or compression. The strategy of xanthan gum‐enhanced hydrogel fuels an exciting new direction for hydrogel‐based wearable sensors.