High-strength, wood-based conductive gel integrates natural hierarchical wood structure with metal-based deep eutectic solvents

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1115244

"mechanical durability, conductivity, environmental stability trade-off in conventional hydrogels... overcome: low-temperature alkali treatment removes lignin/ hemicellulose from basswood, leaving porous, aligned cellulose nanofiber framework... ternary zinc chloride, acrylic acid, and ethylene glycol infused into wood's micro-channels... UV irradiation triggers polymerization without needing additional chemical crosslinkers... 2.82 X 10^-2 S m^-1 ionic conductivity... sensors, signal transmission, wearables"

Related: Engineers boost sustainable acrylic acid production using next‑generation membrane reactor
https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-boost-sustainable-acrylic-acid-production.html