One-Pot Freezing-Thawing Preparation of Hydroxyethyl Cellulose Reinforced Polyvinyl Alcohol Based Ionic Hydrogel

Abstract Hydroxyethyl cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) were used as raw materials. Ion-conducting hydrogels with different hydroxyethyl cellulose contents were prepared by blending and freezing-thawing methods. Hydrogels were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, universal material testing machine, LCR digital bridge and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results show that when the content of hydroxyethyl cellulose is 1.5 wt%, the mechanical properties of the hydrogel are improved, the elongation at break reaches 340%, and the tensile strength reaches 239 KPa. The relative resistance of the hydrogel will grows with the increase of tensile strain. The ionic conductive hydrogel was assembled into a strain sensor to monitor the angle change of finger bending. The hydrogel can also be assembled to form a self-powered battery, and the voltage of the self-powered battery can reach 0.839 V. This indicates that the hydrogel has potential applications in flexible sensors.