Force-induced ion generation in zwitterionic hydrogels for a sensitive silent-speech sensor

Sijia Xu, Jie-Xiang Yu, Hongshuang Guo, Shu Tian, You Long, Jing Yang () and Lei Zhang ()
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Sijia Xu: Tianjin University
Jie-Xiang Yu: Soochow University
Hongshuang Guo: Tianjin University
Shu Tian: Tianjin University
You Long: Tianjin University
Jing Yang: Tianjin University
Lei Zhang: Tianjin University

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Human-sensitive mechanosensation depends on ionic currents controlled by skin mechanoreceptors. Inspired by the sensory behavior of skin, we investigate zwitterionic hydrogels that generate ions under an applied force in a mobile-ion-free system. Within this system, water dissociates as the distance between zwitterions reduces under an applied pressure. Meanwhile, zwitterionic segments can provide migration channels for the generated ions, significantly facilitating ion transport. These combined effects endow a mobile-ion-free zwitterionic skin sensor with sensitive transduction of pressure into ionic currents, achieving a sensitivity up to five times that of nonionic hydrogels. The signal response time, which relies on the crosslinking degree of the zwitterionic hydrogel, was ~38 ms, comparable to that of natural skin. The skin sensor was incorporated into a universal throat-worn silent-speech recognition system that transforms the tiny signals of laryngeal mechanical vibrations into silent speech.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35893-7

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