High-strength and environmentally stable wood conductive eutectogels enabled by metal-based deep eutectic solvents

Muqiu You; Jinhao Xu; Jing Zhou; Yamei Zao; Dagang Li; Yongcan Jin; Zhaoyang Xu; Shinsuke Ifuku; Chuchu Chen

doi:10.1016/j.jobab.2026.100237

Volume 11 Issue 3

Jun. 2026

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Muqiu You, Jinhao Xu, Jing Zhou, Yamei Zao, Dagang Li, Yongcan Jin, Zhaoyang Xu, Shinsuke Ifuku, Chuchu Chen. High-strength and environmentally stable wood conductive eutectogels enabled by metal-based deep eutectic solvents[J]. Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, 2026, 11(3): 100237. doi: 10.1016/j.jobab.2026.100237

Citation:

Muqiu You, Jinhao Xu, Jing Zhou, Yamei Zao, Dagang Li, Yongcan Jin, Zhaoyang Xu, Shinsuke Ifuku, Chuchu Chen. High-strength and environmentally stable wood conductive eutectogels enabled by metal-based deep eutectic solvents[J]. Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, 2026, 11(3): 100237. doi: 10.1016/j.jobab.2026.100237

Citation:

Muqiu You, Jinhao Xu, Jing Zhou, Yamei Zao, Dagang Li, Yongcan Jin, Zhaoyang Xu, Shinsuke Ifuku, Chuchu Chen. High-strength and environmentally stable wood conductive eutectogels enabled by metal-based deep eutectic solvents[J]. Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, 2026, 11(3): 100237. doi: 10.1016/j.jobab.2026.100237

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High-strength and environmentally stable wood conductive eutectogels enabled by metal-based deep eutectic solvents

doi: 10.1016/j.jobab.2026.100237

a. College of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China;
b. Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, Gokasho 611-0011, Japan;
c. College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China

Funds:

The authors would like to thank the financial support from National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 32471792)

14th China Special Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 2021T140329), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 2020M671506), and Jiangsu Postgraduate Research and Practice Innovation Plan in 2025 (No. KYCX25_1407).

Received Date: 2025-11-22
Accepted Date: 2026-01-16
Rev Recd Date: 2026-01-14

Available Online: 2026-07-04

Publish Date: 2026-06-01

Abstract

Abstract

Conductive gels hold significant promise for applications in flexible sensing and wearable electronics, yet face the challenge of limitations in mechanical strength and environmental stability. Herein, a facile and effective strategy was proposed to fabricate high-performance eutectogels by introducing metal-based deep eutectic solvent (MDES) consisting of zinc chloride (ZnCl₂), ethylene glycol (EG), and acrylic acid (AA) into the wood skeleton (WS), which was extracted from natural wood, followed by in-situ ultraviolet (UV)-initiated polymerization. The resulting metal-based deep eutectic solvent/wood skeleton eutectogels (MDES/WS eutectogels) exhibited high ionic conductivity (2.82 × 10^-2 S/m), higher than most conventional wood-based gels, benefiting from the inherent conductivity of the MDES, as well as the aligned micro and nanochannels in WS that facilitate ion transport. Moreover, the synthesized polyacrylic acid (PAA) network could form strong interfacial interactions with the cellulose nanofibers through hydrogen bonding and Zn²⁺ coordination cross-linking, significantly reinforcing the eutectogels with a high tensile strength of 41.50 MPa and toughness of 8.4 MJ/m³, while still demonstrating good environmental stability (-60 to 100 °C). Leveraging its high conductivity, robust mechanics, and environmental stability, the developed eutectogels functioned as flexible sensors to generate stable and responsive electrical signals during simulated human movements and possessed potential as a programmable information transmission interface through Morse code input. This work established a novel paradigm for developing sustainable, mechanically robust, and environmentally stable conductive gels, offering a versatile platform for next-generation flexible electronics operable under extreme conditions.
- Natural wood,
- Metal-based eutectic solvent,
- Eutectogels,
- High strength,
- Electrical conductivity,
- Environmental stability

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References(62)

References

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