A flexible tissue-adhesive nanocomposite hydrogel for Wi-Fi-enabled electro-responsive drug release and biomonitoring

Mechanically adaptive, conductive, and tissue-adhesive hydrogels integrated with wireless bioelectronics offer a promising platform for wearable therapeutics and real-time biomonitoring. Most existing platforms address these functions separately, lacking a single integrated platform capable of both real-time sensing and wirelessly controlled on-demand drug delivery. Herein, a multifunctional conductive hydrogel has been designed to enable real-time motion sensing and on-demand electro-triggered drug release in an open-loop system controlled via Wi-Fi. To achieve this, a simple free radical polymerization (FRP) method has been adopted to synthesize a nanocomposite hydrogel, designated CycloStik-Q, composed of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), N-hydroxymethylacrylamide (NHMA), and graphene quantum dots (GQDs) derived from cigarette smoke extract. This synthetic strategy yields a composite hydrogel that exhibits a distinctive combination of properties, including remarkable stretchability and flexibility, stab resistance, electro-responsiveness, pressure sensitivity, high optical transparency, antioxidant activity, and effective UV-blocking performance. These integrated characteristics have been leveraged to fabricate a flexible, wireless sensor platform capable of real-time human motion tracking via Wi- Fi-enabled communication, highlighting its potential for remote and at-home monitoring. Additionally, the hydrogel functions as an on-demand electro-responsive drug delivery system with wirelessly controlled, user-triggered release, underscoring its potential for personalized therapeutic applications. The integration of soft materials with wireless electronics is revolutionizing wearable healthcare, enabling continuous physiological monitoring and therapeutic responses. This study introduces CycloStik-Q, a nanocomposite hydrogel that combines real-time biomechanical motion sensing with wirelessly controlled drug release, addressing limitations of traditional biomonitoring methods. Researchers synthesized graphene quantum dots (GQDs) from cigarette smoke extract and integrated them into a hydrogel matrix composed of β-cyclodextrin, N-hydroxymethylacrylamide, with enhanced conductivity and mechanical properties. CycloStik-Q exhibits robust stretchability, strong tissue adhesion, and excellent conductivity, suitable for long-term skin integration. It enables remote monitoring of physiological signals like joint motion, cardiac activity, along with Wi-Fi-controlled drug release. This dual functionality distinguishes CycloStik-Q from conventional sensors, offering a sustainable, multifunctional platform for next-generation wearable healthcare systems. Future directions include personalized diagnostics and therapy in remote or resource-limited settings, enhancing patient care. This summary was initially drafted using artificial intelligence, then revised and fact-checked by the author.