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Yin et al. Soft Sci. 2025, 5, 30 Soft Science
DOI: 10.20517/ss.2025.15

Perspective Open Access

Tough gelatin-based biogels for wearable sensors

3
1
1
Juan-Juan Yin , Yang Li , Xia Sun , Zhi-Hui Qin 2,4
1
Xi’an Rare Metal Materials Institute Co, Ltd., Xi'an 710018, Shaanxi, China.
2
State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, Yanshan
University, Qinhuangdao 066004, Hebei, China.
3
Sustainable Functional Biomaterials Laboratory, Bioproducts Institute, Department of Wood Science, University of British
Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z4, Canada.
4
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117585, Singapore.
Correspondence to: Xia Sun, Sustainable Functional Biomaterials Laboratory, Bioproducts Institute, Department of Wood
Science, University of British Columbia, 2024 Main Mall, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4, Canada. E-mail: xiasun@student.ubc.ca; Prof.
Zhi-Hui Qin, State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry,
Yanshan University, 438 West Hebei Avenue, Haigang District, Qinhuangdao 066004, Hebei, China. E-mail: zhqin@ysu.edu.cn
How to cite this article: Yin, J. J.; Li, Y.; Sun, X.; Qin, Z. H. Tough gelatin-based biogels for wearable sensors. Soft Sci. 2025, 5, 30.
https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/ss.2025.15
Received: 25 Apr 2025 First Decision: 27 May 2025 Revised: 11 Jun 2025 Accepted: 16 Jun 2025 Published: 27 Jun 2025

Academic Editor: YongAn Huang Copy Editor: Shu-Yuan Duan Production Editor: Shu-Yuan Duan

Abstract
Flexible wearable sensors that can intimately adhere to the human body for real-time monitoring of human
activities and physiological signals have attracted great attention owing to their potential in personalized
healthcare and human-machine interfaces. Gelatin-based biogels are promising materials in wearable sensors due
to their good biocompatibility, biodegradability, and sustainability. However, conventional gelatin-based biogels are
usually weak and brittle (tensile strength < 10 kPa and stretchability < 50%), and thus cannot be applied in flexible
wearable devices. Therefore, further efforts are needed to engineer tough gelatin-based biogels that meet the
demands of flexible wearable sensors. In this perspective, we summarize recent progress in designing tough
gelatin-based biogels and their wide applications in wearable sensing devices, while highlighting potential future
directions in this field.

Keywords: Gelatin, biogel, stretchability, mechanical toughness, wearable sensor

INTRODUCTION
Flexible wearable sensors have undergone rapid development in recent decades due to their significant role

© The Author(s) 2025. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
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