Hysteresis-free and dynamically resilient strain sensor enabled by interfacial coordination.

He, Jiang; Huang, Jiaoya; Li, Rongrong; Chen, Ziyu; Li, Zemin; Zhou, Runhui; Wang, Siyuan; Gao, Wenchao et al. · Sci Adv · 2026

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Mechanical hysteresis in soft materials remains a fundamental barrier to achieving accurate, high-speed strain sensing, especially under large and dynamic deformation. Here, we report a hysteresis-free strain sensor enabled by an interfacial coordination strategy, which integrates intrinsically stretchable dual-network universal bonding materials to establish robust adhesion between hyperelastic and hydrogel-dielectric hybrid systems. This architecture simultaneously enhances the elastic rebound stiffness of the composite and suppresses interfacial slippage, leading to a notable reduction in system-level hysteresis. A strain rate-dependent evaluation framework is proposed to systematically quantify dynamic hysteresis variability. The resulting sensor exhibits outstanding performance under extreme mechanical conditions, including 100% peak strain and strain rates up to 50% per second, maintaining a failure range below 1%. Moreover, the sensor demonstrates high linearity [coefficient of determination (<i>R</i><sup>2</sup>) = 0.9998], an extended sensing range exceeding 200%, and superior mechanical durability. This work provides a comprehensive strategy toward hysteresis-free and dynamically accurate soft strain sensors, paving the way for next-generation human-machine interfaces and wearable electronics.