Messenger RNA (mRNA) has recently been the focus of therapeutic agent development and displays the great potential to prevent and treat a staggering range of diseases. The COVID-19 outbreak in...
With the increasing demand for eco-friendly, non-petroleum-based natural rubber (NR) products, sepiolite, a naturally abundant, one-dimensional clay mineral, has been identified as a suitable material for reinforcing NR through the latex compounding method. To create superior NR/sepiolite composites, three silane coupling agents with different functional groups were used to modify sepiolite in situ via grafting or adsorption during the disaggregation and activation of natural sepiolite, which were subsequently mixed with natural rubber latex (NRL) to prepare the composites. The results showed that the modified sepiolite improved the dispersion and interfacial bonding strength with the rubber matrix. VTES-modified sepiolite containing C=C groups slightly improved the performance but retarded the vulcanization of the NR composites, and MPTES and TESPT-modified sepiolites containing -SH and −S4− groups, respectively, effectively accelerated vulcanization, inducing the composites to form a denser crosslink network structure, and exhibiting excellent dynamic and static properties, such as the modulus at a 300% increase from 8.82 MPa to 16.87 MPa, a tear strength increase from 49.6 N·mm−1 to 60.3 N·mm−1, as well as an improved rolling resistance and abrasive resistance of the composites. These findings demonstrate that modified sepiolite can be used to produce high-quality NR/sepiolite composites with enhanced properties.
Performance degradation and even loss of function due to mechanical stiffening caused by internal water evaporation and/or freezing significantly limit the application of hydrogel‐based electronics. Herein, a high‐performance liquid‐free electronic skin (e‐skin) is assembled based on the dry poly(ethylene glycol)‐based gel and conductive Ti3C2 MXenes that is successfully applied in wearable strain sensors. The fabricated liquid‐free e‐skin exhibits superior mechanical performance, broad sensing ranges (>1000%), good temperature adaptability, and durable environmental stability. Without extra sealed packaging, the e‐skin sensor maintains remarkable cycling stability and retains 98.5% conductivity at room temperature after 6 months. Furthermore, the liquid‐free e‐skin sensors are utilized to provide individuals with proper guidance on body alignment and posture awareness, fostering the development and maintenance of correct exercise techniques, thus mitigating the likelihood of sports‐related injuries. This work provides a novel liquid‐free electron‐conductive electronic integrated with adhesiveness, stretchability, self‐healabilitiy, and antifreezing, which can meet wide application needs from artificial skins to smart interfaces.
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