Transmembrane Inspired Mechano-Responsive Elastomers with Synergized Traction-Assisted Healing and Dual-Channel Sensing

Abstract

In the burgeoning field of bioinspired materials, the principles governing biological perception and self-healing drive advancements in biomimetic mechano-responsive materials, seamlessly integrating ionic signal sensing with self-healing. While current research often emphasizes individual functionalities, the concurrent enhancement of both self-healing and sensitivity in iontronic skins is often overlooked. Drawing inspiration from transmembrane proteins like TSP-15, Piezo 1 and Piezo 2, renowned for recruiting repair factors, multifunctional molecular-ionic regulatory sites are constructed within a polyurethane/ionic liquid composite system, leading to the development of a mechano-responsive elastomer (i-DAPU) that exhibited both rapid self-healing (72 µm min−1) and impressive sensitivity (7012.05 kPa−1). Leveraging the dual functionalities of i-DAPU in tandem with deep learning algorithms, a sophisticated system is devised for intelligently analyzing neural conditions in comatose patients based on muscle strength, achieving a remarkable 99.2% accuracy rate, holding significant promise for healthcare applications.