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Stretchable iontronics with robust interface bonding between dielectric and ion-conducting elastomers

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Abstract

Dry ion-conducting elastomers (ICEs) are emerging stretchable and ionic conductive materials that are demonstrated with excellent thermal stability and great promise in multifunctional iontronic devices. Nevertheless, the poor interface between the ICEs and the dielectric material is one of the issues hindering the application of the stretchable iontronic device. Herein, a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) based ion-conducting elastomer with dynamic crosslinking structures is reported, which achieves the stretchability of 475% and healing efficiency of 99%. More importantly, a robust interface bonding can be generated between the electrode and the dielectric material, which is beneficial to enhance the performance and lifespan of the flexible iontronic devices. Using this PDMS based ICE as the electrode and PDMS as the dielectric material, two stretchable iontronic devices (triboelectric nanogenerator and capacitive pressure sensor) are realized with overall self-healing and stretchable capabilities. These findings provide a promising strategy to achieve integrate stretchable iontronics or electronics with a robust interface between the electrode and dielectric materials.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful for the support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52173274), the National Key Research and Development Project from Ministry of Science and Technology (No. 2021YFA1201603), and the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. XDA16021101).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Center on Nanoenergy Research, School of Physical Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China

    Zhongpeng Li & Xiong Pu

  2. CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Beijing Key Laboratory of Micro-Nano Energy and Sensor, Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101400, China

    Zhongpeng Li, Panpan Zhang, Yangshi Shao, Zi-Hao Guo & Xiong Pu

  3. School of Nanoscience and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Yangshi Shao, Zi-Hao Guo & Xiong Pu

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  1. Zhongpeng Li
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  2. Panpan Zhang
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  3. Yangshi Shao
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  4. Zi-Hao Guo
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  5. Xiong Pu
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Correspondence to Panpan Zhang or Xiong Pu.

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Li, Z., Zhang, P., Shao, Y. et al. Stretchable iontronics with robust interface bonding between dielectric and ion-conducting elastomers. Nano Res. 16, 11862–11870 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-023-5612-3

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