A bio-adhesive ion-conducting organohydrogel as a high-performance non-invasive interface for bioelectronics

Abstract Bioelectrical signal is the basis of the rapidly growing field of physiological activity research, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic applications and neural science. However, current bioelectrical signal monitor methods face challenges such as skin mismatch, impedance defect, insufficient cycle performance, tissue damage, and scar/biofilm interface formation. Here, we report a sterilizable bio-adhesive interface based on ion-conducting organohydrogel with skin-compliance for precise and motion-robust epidermal bioelectrical signals monitoring. The interface material is based on silk fibroin-reinforced organohydrogel, which is formed by UV curing. The interface material represents energy storage efficiency up to 97%, extremely low impedance (less than40 Ω) at physiologically relevant frequencies and the electrocardiogram (ECG) signals measurement maintains accurate even after multiple disinfections (100 times) by 75% ethanol. Hence, this interface material can be used for multiple times in long-term bioelectrical signals monitoring during daily life. We further investigated the capabilities of the interface in an auditory brainstem response test and realized its ability to achieve competitive monitoring sensitivity in clinical diagnosis as non-invasive electrodes.