TY  - JOUR
AU  - Guan, Xiaoyu
AU  - Zhu, Yanxia
AU  - Luo, Jianxun
AU  - Wang, Xuechuan
AU  - Gong, Hao
AU  - Abosheasha, Mohammed A
AU  - Zhang, Bingyuan
AU  - Zheng, Sai
AU  - Li, Dongping
AU  - Han, Qingxin
AU  - Ueda, Motoki
AU  - Ito, Yoshihiro
PY  - 2025
TI  - Patagonian toothfish-inspired aluminum coordination hydrogel sensors for real-time rainfall monitoring
JO  - International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing
SN  - 2631-8644
VL  - 7
IS  - 4
AB  - Compared with traditional rain gauges and weather radars, hydrogel flexible electronic sensor capable of responding directly to rainfall events with promptness and authenticity, shows great prospects in real-time rainfall monitoring. Aluminum coordination hydrogel (Al-HG), one of the most qualified sensors suitable for rainfall monitoring, however, is currently impeded from widespread application by its weak mechanical properties due to the low binding strength between Al3+ and functional ligands. Herein, inspired by the antifreeze proteins (AFPs) that protect those Patagonian toothfishes by strongly binding to ice crystals at freezing temperatures, a low temperature-induced strategy is introduced to promote more and stronger ligand carboxyls firm combination with Al3+, thus forming a high-coordinated structure to deal with this challenge. Expectedly, the whole mechanical performance of the product Al-HGF1/F2 obtained by the low temperature-induced strategy is improved. For example, the tensile fracture toughness and the maximum compressive stress of Al-HGF1/F2 are 1.66 MJ·m−3 and 12.01 MPa, approximately twice those of the sample Al-HGF3/F0 obtained by traditional soaking method (0.86 MJ·m−3 and 7.38 MPa, respectively). Coupled with its good biocompatibility, ionic conductivity, and sensing ability, Al-HGF1/F2 demonstrates promising application for real-time rainfall monitoring in discrepant rainfall intensities, different zones, and even under extreme environments. This work aims to offer a stride toward mechanically robust aluminum coordination hydrogel sensors for real-time rainfall monitoring as well as provide insights into flood prevention and disaster mitigation.
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1088/2631-7990/adb818
DO  - 10.1088/2631-7990/adb818