While gelatin-based conductive hydrogels can acquire electrophysiological signals over multiple days, the statistical consistency and analytical utility of these long-term recordings for data-driven interpretation remain inadequately assessed. To address this, we developed a gelatin-quaternary ammonium chitosan (GT-QCS) hydrogel electrode that leverages a rapid, temperature-triggered sol–gel transition. Its fluid precursor conforms to complex skin topographies, forming a strongly adhesive interface within two minutes. The ionically crosslinked network shows high stretchability (B400% strain), tissue-matched modulus (B73 kPa), strong adhesion (544.1 mN cm1 ), breathability (WVTR E 605 g m2 day1 ), and low dehydration (B13% water loss after 30 days). This combination enables stable, week-long acquisition of high-fidelity sEMG, ECG, and EEG signals. The utility of these signals for data-driven analytics was quantitatively validated through a convolutional neural network, which achieved high accuracy in gesture recognition using the long-term sEMG data. Furthermore, the electrode-skin impedance and EEG signal fidelity remained stable over a seven-day period, outperforming standard conductive paste that typically dries within hours. This work demonstrates how phase-transition-enabled hydrogel electrodes can bridge material design with data-driven physiological analysis, offering a general approach for intelligent wearable bioelectronics.

Conformal Phase-Transition Hydrogel Interfaces for High Fidelity Electrophysiological Sensing and Data-Driven Inference / Li, X., Tang, W., Wang, M., Moretti, G., Lin, J.i., Shi, C.. - In: SOFT MATTER. - ISSN 1744-683X. - 2026, 22:24(2026), pp. 4134-4150. [10.1039/d6sm00123h]

Conformal Phase-Transition Hydrogel Interfaces for High Fidelity Electrophysiological Sensing and Data-Driven Inference

Moretti, Giacomo;Lin, Ji;Shi, Chuanqian
2026-01-01

Abstract

While gelatin-based conductive hydrogels can acquire electrophysiological signals over multiple days, the statistical consistency and analytical utility of these long-term recordings for data-driven interpretation remain inadequately assessed. To address this, we developed a gelatin-quaternary ammonium chitosan (GT-QCS) hydrogel electrode that leverages a rapid, temperature-triggered sol–gel transition. Its fluid precursor conforms to complex skin topographies, forming a strongly adhesive interface within two minutes. The ionically crosslinked network shows high stretchability (B400% strain), tissue-matched modulus (B73 kPa), strong adhesion (544.1 mN cm1 ), breathability (WVTR E 605 g m2 day1 ), and low dehydration (B13% water loss after 30 days). This combination enables stable, week-long acquisition of high-fidelity sEMG, ECG, and EEG signals. The utility of these signals for data-driven analytics was quantitatively validated through a convolutional neural network, which achieved high accuracy in gesture recognition using the long-term sEMG data. Furthermore, the electrode-skin impedance and EEG signal fidelity remained stable over a seven-day period, outperforming standard conductive paste that typically dries within hours. This work demonstrates how phase-transition-enabled hydrogel electrodes can bridge material design with data-driven physiological analysis, offering a general approach for intelligent wearable bioelectronics.
2026
24
Li, Xuelin; Tang, Weiyang; Wang, Mingyang; Moretti, Giacomo; Lin, Ji; Shi, Chuanqian
Conformal Phase-Transition Hydrogel Interfaces for High Fidelity Electrophysiological Sensing and Data-Driven Inference / Li, X., Tang, W., Wang, M., Moretti, G., Lin, J.i., Shi, C.. - In: SOFT MATTER. - ISSN 1744-683X. - 2026, 22:24(2026), pp. 4134-4150. [10.1039/d6sm00123h]
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