Scaffold-microenvironment decoupling in chitosan hydrogels: A design strategy for integrated energy storage, sensing, and energy harvesting

Zeyu Chang; Yunfan Ji; Xiaofeng Sun; Yang Song; Qiang Xu; Ning Ma; Pengfei Li; Meng Wang; Xiaojuan Jin; Shijing Li; Kun Wang; Jianxin Jiang

doi:10.1016/j.jobab.2026.100279

Volume 11 Issue 4

Aug. 2026

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Article Navigation > Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts > 2026 > 11(4): 100279

Zeyu Chang, Yunfan Ji, Xiaofeng Sun, Yang Song, Qiang Xu, Ning Ma, Pengfei Li, Meng Wang, Xiaojuan Jin, Shijing Li, Kun Wang, Jianxin Jiang. Scaffold-microenvironment decoupling in chitosan hydrogels: A design strategy for integrated energy storage, sensing, and energy harvesting[J]. Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, 2026, 11(4): 100279. doi: 10.1016/j.jobab.2026.100279

Citation:

Zeyu Chang, Yunfan Ji, Xiaofeng Sun, Yang Song, Qiang Xu, Ning Ma, Pengfei Li, Meng Wang, Xiaojuan Jin, Shijing Li, Kun Wang, Jianxin Jiang. Scaffold-microenvironment decoupling in chitosan hydrogels: A design strategy for integrated energy storage, sensing, and energy harvesting[J]. Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, 2026, 11(4): 100279. doi: 10.1016/j.jobab.2026.100279

Citation:

Zeyu Chang, Yunfan Ji, Xiaofeng Sun, Yang Song, Qiang Xu, Ning Ma, Pengfei Li, Meng Wang, Xiaojuan Jin, Shijing Li, Kun Wang, Jianxin Jiang. Scaffold-microenvironment decoupling in chitosan hydrogels: A design strategy for integrated energy storage, sensing, and energy harvesting[J]. Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, 2026, 11(4): 100279. doi: 10.1016/j.jobab.2026.100279

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Scaffold-microenvironment decoupling in chitosan hydrogels: A design strategy for integrated energy storage, sensing, and energy harvesting

doi: 10.1016/j.jobab.2026.100279

a MOE Engineering Research Center of Forestry Biomass Materials and Bioenergy, College of Materials Science and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China;
b Forest Industry Linmao (Heilongjiang) Biotechnology Industry Group Co., Ltd., Harbin 154004, China;
c School of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing, Beijing 100083, China;
d Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Engineering of Forest Products, State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Engineering of Forest Products, Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Chemistry and Engineering of Forest Products, Guangxi Minzu University, Nanning 530006, China;
e China National Pulp and Paper Research Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing 100102, China;
f Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China

Funds:

This work was financially supported by Guangxi Key Laboratory of Chemistry Engineering of Forest Products (No. GXFK2506) and Forest Industry Linmao (Heilongjiang) Biological Industry Group Co. Ltd. (No. 2024-HXKF-CL-XY017).

Received Date: 2026-01-30
Accepted Date: 2026-06-05
Rev Recd Date: 2026-05-29

Available Online: 2026-09-01

Publish Date: 2026-08-01

Abstract

Abstract

Chitosan-based hydrogels are attractive for sustainable flexible electronics, yet their development is fundamentally hampered by a persistent materials dilemma in which enhancing mechanical integrity through crosslinking or crystallization inevitably sacrifices ionic mobility and environmental stability, leading to poor conductivity and dehydration susceptibility. To address this dilemma, we present a scaffold-microenvironment decoupling strategy. This approach architecturally separates the requirements for mechanical robustness and ion transport by constructing a hierarchically tough yet open polymer scaffold, while independently programming the internal aqueous phase into a highly conductive and cryo-tolerant microenvironment through tailored ion hydration and salting-out. The resulting hydrogel materializes this synergy, exhibiting integrated properties including high mechanical strength, ultra-high ionic conductivity of 68.6 mS/cm, and exceptional resistance to freezing below -85 ℃ and dehydration. Beyond a multifunctional material, this system validates a novel design paradigm. Its practical efficacy is demonstrated across three distinct and demanding electronic applications serving as an ultra-stable electrolyte for flexible supercapacitors with over 10,000-cycle durability, a high-fidelity wearable sensor for physiological signal monitoring, and an effective component in triboelectric nanogenerators. This work provides a blueprint for designing next-generation sustainable soft materials where traditionally conflicting properties can be harmoniously unified.
- Chitosan hydrogel,
- Scaffold-microenvironment decoupling,
- Flexible electronics,
- Gel electrolyte,
- Strain sensor

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References(47)

References

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