Physically Crosslinked Conductive Organic Gel with Excellent Elasticity and Environmental Stability

Abstract

Liquid water in hydrogels exhibits an adsorption-desorption dynamic equilibrium with the surrounding environment, which leads to the instability of mechanical properties. To address this limitation, we propose an innovative design of conductive composite organogels by incorporating compatible linear lauryl alcohol (LA) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into a poly(butyl methacrylate) (PBMA) network. Carbon chains of LAform physical crosslinks with PBMA side chains, effectively replacing inherent polymer chain entanglements. This structural innovation facilitates rapid chain rotation and sliding during stretching, so that the gel has a super stretching property of up to 2460%. At elevated temperatures, weakened interactions between LA–PBMA and PBMA–PBMA chains reduce physical confinement of CNTs within the PBMA network. Simultaneously applying a directional electric field, CNTs undergo rotation and translation to reconstruct an optimized conductive pathway, granting the composite distinctive temperature-sensitive electrical conductivity. Critically, all components in the PBMA/LA/CNTs (PLCs) exhibit low volatility and hydrophobicity. These characteristics enable the organogel to retain excellent flexibility and stable electrical performance after prolonged immersion in deionized water, exposure to vacuum, and even under extreme conditions at 120 °C. Such comprehensive stability suggests promising applications in deep-sea exploration and aerospace engineering.