UV-induced ferric phytate access to fast gelation of conductive and anti-freezing hydrogels for cryogenic strain sensing

A simple and mildly rapid preparation strategy is developed to accelerate polymerization by UV-induced excitation of ferric phytate ligands and generation of free radicals by electron transfer. The introduction of phytic acid provides a synergy between excellent electrical conductivity and anti-freezing the hydrogel through ionization and hydrogen bonding, which enables hydrogel-based strain sensors to show great potential for stable detection of physiological activities in low-temperature environments.