Presently, it is necessary to develop fully flexible sensors for the next generation of wearable electronics, and in this case, hydrogel-based flexible sensors are highly attractive due to their unique mechanical performances. However, the low-temperature freezing and bending fatigue of hydrogels severely hinder their application in flexible sensors. Herein, a polymeric dual-function hydrogel (DF-hydrogel) integrating self-healing and anti-freezing properties was prepared by building a dual dynamic network for application as ionic skin with excellent and reliable sensing performances. In DF-hydrogel, ethylene glycol (EG) and disulfide bonds were anchored in the molecular structure of double-bond-capped water-based polyurethane crosslinkers (DB-waPU) and subsequently introduced into the molecular backbone of the hydrogel via free radical polymerization. A multi-hydrogen bonding network was formed by the copolymerization of acrylamide with 2-ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidinone (UPy)-functionalized 1-vinylimidazole ionic liquid. Due to the dual dynamic network, DF-hydrogel exhibited exceptional self-healing capabilities and mechanical properties such as high healing efficiency, stretchability, compressibility, and self-adhesion. The anchored EG molecule in the polymer backbone endowed the hydrogel with intrinsic freeze-resistance without compromising its mechanical properties. The introduced poly(ionic liquid) provided free ions to the hydrogel, enhancing its ionic conductivity up to 9.6 mS cm−1 in the absence of applied electrolyte salts. The DF-hydrogel-based ionic skins exhibited rapid, reversible, and dependable resistance changes with a wide range of strain sensing capabilities (10–300%). Moreover, a prototype 2D sensor array was fabricated to detect strains or pressures in two dimensions, strongly showing potential for the preparation of electronic skin, touch-pads, biosensors, and other applications.
