AccScience Publishing / IJB / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/IJB025290295
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RESEARCH ARTICLE

3D-printable alginate-MoS2-AgNW hydrogel bioink for dual-mode wearable capacitive biosensors

Suraj Shinde1† ,  Kang Hyeon Kim1,2† ,  Omkar Pawar3 ,  Omkar A. Patil3 ,  Sooman Lim3 ,  Han Eol Lee1,2,4*
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1 Division of Advanced Materials Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju-si, Jeonbuk State, South Korea
2 Division of Electronics and Information Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju-si, Jeonbuk State, South Korea
3 Department of Flexible and Printable Electronics, LANL-JBNU Engineering Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, South Korea
4 Department of JBNU-KIST Industry-Academia Convergence Research, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju-si, Jeonbuk State, South Korea
†These authors contributed equally to this work.
IJB, 025290295 https://doi.org/10.36922/IJB025290295
Received: 18 July 2025 | Accepted: 22 August 2025 | Published online: 25 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 3D-Printed Biomedical Devices)
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

The advancement of bioinks capable of enabling multifunctional, skin-conformal sensing platforms is essential for the next generation of wearable health monitoring systems. In this study, we present a 3D-printed, dual-mode biosensor fabricated using a composite hydrogel ink comprising sodium alginate, exfoliated molybdenum disulfide nanosheets (MoS₂NSs), silver nanowires (AgNWs), and Ca²+ crosslinkers. This bioink enables reliable extrusion-based printing on flexible substrates, forming wearable, conductive, and mechanically robust sensor architectures. The resulting soft sensor exhibits high-sensitivity capacitive touch sensing with fast response times and excellent mechanical repeatability under dynamic loading conditions. Furthermore, the device allows for real-time monitoring of sweat rate in response to constant humidity and perspiration levels. The synergistic integration of 2D MoS₂NSs and 1D AgNWs significantly improves electrical conductivity and mechanical durability, without compromising printability or hydration compatibility. The demonstrated dual-sensing functionality and scalable fabrication strategy underscore the potential of this platform for low-cost, customizable applications in wearable healthcare, fitness tracking, and human-machine interfaces.  

 

Graphical abstract
Keywords
3D bioprinting
Alginate hydrogel
Capacitive touch sensing
Sweat rate monitoring
Flexible sensors
Skin-interfaced devices
Funding
Not applicable
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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International Journal of Bioprinting, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8002 Print ISSN: 2424-7723, Published by AccScience Publishing
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