In this study, gelatin and pullulan were successfully prepared as a novel type of protein–polysaccharide composite nanofibrous membrane by electrospinning at room temperature with deionized water as the solvent. The effects of gelatin content on the properties of the solution, as well as the morphology of the resultant nanofibers, were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was utilized to observe the surface morphology. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to study the interaction between gelatin and pullulan. Incorporation of pullulan with gelatin will improve the spinnability of the mixed aqueous solution due to lower surface tension. Moreover, the conductivity of the solution had a greater effect on the fiber diameters, and the as-spun fibers became thinner as the viscosity and the surface tension increased due to the addition of the polyelectrolyte gelatin. Gelatin and pullulan formed hydrogen bonds, and the intermolecular hydrogen bonds increased while the intramolecular hydrogen bond decreased, which resulted in better mechanical properties. The electrospun gelatin/pullulan nanofibers could mimic both the structure and the composition of the extracellular matrix, and thus could be applied in tissue engineering.

Wearable rehabilitation monitoring requires soft strain sensors with mechanical robustness, stable electromechanical responses, and intelligent motion recognition capability. Here, we report a poly(vinyl alcohol)/polyacrylamide (PVA/PAM) double−network hydrogel strain sensor for rehabilitation−oriented wearable monitoring. The hydrogel was prepared by ultraviolet ray (UV)−initiated acrylamide polymerization followed by freeze−thaw−induced PVA crystallization, forming a covalent PAM network interpenetrated with a physically crosslinked PVA network. The resulting hydrogel possessed a compact porous structure, improved stretchability, and stable deformation recovery. The optimized sensor exhibited a tensile strength of approximately 0.52 MPa, an elongation at break of approximately 480%, a response time of 0.12 s, and a recovery time of 0.17 s. It generated repeatable resistance signals under cyclic strain, finger bending, wrist motion, and grip training. Furthermore, the sensor enabled morse−code information transmission and support vector machine (SVM)−based recognition of rehabilitation−related hand states, including straight, bend, and clench. This work provides a soft hydrogel sensing platform for real−time rehabilitation−oriented hand motion, while morse−code encoding provides auxiliary assistance and an emergency communication function.

Disposable diapers are an essential component of infant and incontinent individual care, providing superior urine absorption. However, achieving a key goal for high-performance diapers is rapid urine penetration concurrent with surface self-drying. This assertion is substantiated by the prevalence of diaper dermatitis, which afflicts 29% of affected individuals. In this study, we designed rapid urine-penetrating, self-drying materials (RIPPING materials) by the synergy between the meshed pore hydrophobic top layer and superabsorbent middle layer. It is noteworthy that the meshed pores of the hydrophobic top layer facilitated expeditious urine absorption by the subjacent superabsorbent middle layer (0 g urine run-off). Furthermore, the urine would be retained on the surface of the diaper by the mesh, due to the material’s inherent hydrophobic properties. Following the systematic optimization of the structure of RIPPING materials, superior self-drying diapers with a wetness of 0.06 ± 0.01 g were achieved after urine absorption by preventing the direct contact between the skin and superabsorbent materials. The breathability of disposable diapers is attributed to the use of breathable materials, while its high-performance back layer exhibits efficacy in resisting hydrostatic pressure. Consequently, the present study proposes a high-performance RIPPING diaper that simultaneously achieves outstanding breathability without compromising leak resistance.