E. Pérez del Río et al. Integrating electrical conductivity capability into 3D printed alginate-gelatin hydrogels as skin tissue constructs for temperature sensing. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces

E. Pérez del Río, A. Esplugues-Lopez, Y Heyvaert, M. Jergitsch, S. Colombi , M. Ahmadi, H. Martinez, M.P. Ginebra, C. Alemán, M.A. Mateos-Timoneda, J. García-Torres. Integrating electrical conductivity capability into 3D printed alginate-gelatin hydrogels as skin tissue constructs for temperature sensing. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces 257 (2026) 115206. OPEN ACCESS.

doi: doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2025.115206

Abstract

The development of electrically conductive hydrogels has emerged as a critical advancement in soft electronics, enabling multifunctional devices for biomedical applications. This work introduces biocompatible and conductive three-dimensional (3D) printed hydrogels based on alginate-gelatin matrices, modified with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and MXene nanosheets (Ti₃C₂Tₓ), as electronic-engineered skin hybrid platforms for temperature sensing. The hydrogels demonstrate tunable conductivity, reaching values of 0.44 S/m for AuNP-modified and 1.04 S/m for MXene-modified samples. Structural analysis confirmed the preservation of a porous architecture, while rheological studies highlighted their mechanical integrity. Both modifications imparted temperature sensitivity, with an approximately 20 % increase in current response between 30 °C and 40 °C and sensitivities in the range from −1.54–2.00 %ºC−1. These hydrogels also exhibit excellent cytocompatibility, making them ideal candidates for engineered skin scaffolds. The combination of temperature sensing and biocompatibility advances the potential use of conductive hydrogels in real-time physiological monitoring and infection detection, marking a significant contribution to the field of bioelectronics.