Electrically Conducting Porous Hydrogels by a Self-Assembled Percolating Pristine Graphene Network

This study introduces a method for synthesizing electrically conductive hydrogels with a self-assembled, percolating graphene network, overcoming traditional challenges of integrating conduc-tive fillers into hydrogels. By using pristine graphene at the oil-water interface to stabilize a water-in-oil emulsion, we successfully developed hydrogel foams with conductivity up to 15 mS/m and tunable porosity. The concentration of monomer and graphite in the emulsion was optimized to control the cell size, stability, and swelling behavior of the final hydrogels, offering versatility in structure and functionality. Electrical conductivity and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) con-firmed the stability and conductive properties imparted by the graphene network. This method demonstrates a cost-effective route to conductive hydrogels, making them promising candidates for applications in sensors, energy storage, bioelectronics, and other advanced technologies.