Issue 5, 2022

One-step synthesis of carbon-doped PPy nanoparticles interspersed in 3D porous melamine foam as a high-performance piezoresistive pressure, strain, and breath sensor

Abstract

Flexible and compressible sensors have been widely used for various wearable applications; however, the devices are typically planar, expensive and with limited compressibility. In this work, carbon-doped polypyrrole nanoparticles interfaced in a 3D-macroporous melamine foam (C-PPy@MF) composite are used as a low-cost multifunctional sensor for breath monitoring, pressure-, and strain-sensing applications. The C-PPy nanostructures were grown on MF using an ultrasonic irradiation technique to achieve a firm loading of C-PPy on the MF surface and interface. Detailed morphological characterization studies reveal the discrete distribution of C-PPy nanoparticles in the MF matrix. Structural analysis revealed a broad amorphous phase corresponding to the carbon polymer chains. The fabricated C-PPy@MF-based breath sensor displayed a fast response time of 0.9 s and a recovery time of 1.3 s upon continuous exhalation and inhalation cycles. In addition, the breath sensor was used for the monitoring of human breath per minute (bpm) and dehydration of the lungs. The superior response of the breath sensor can be attributed to the surface engineering of MF with the C-PPy nanostructures, which enables an excellent surface reactivity due to their large relative surface area. The C-PPy@MF-based piezoresistive pressure sensor exhibits a sensitivity of 2 kPa−1 in the pressure range of 1–90 kPa and a rapid response time of 160 ms. A 3 × 3 pressure sensor array was developed for precise spatial mapping to demonstrate the practicability of the pressure sensor. The fabricated C-PPy@MF-based strain sensor recorded a maximum gauge factor (GF) of 23.47 and can withstand a maximum strain of 80%, which is higher than most of the previously reported similar yet sophisticated devices. In addition, a constant response was obtained for 1000 bending cycles, demonstrating the excellent mechanical stability of the fabricated C-PPy@MF device. The fabricated C-PPy@MF-based flexible breath, pressure, and strain sensor has potential applications in electronic skin and wearable human motion sensor applications.

Graphical abstract: One-step synthesis of carbon-doped PPy nanoparticles interspersed in 3D porous melamine foam as a high-performance piezoresistive pressure, strain, and breath sensor

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Research Article
Submitted
22 Oct 2021
Accepted
05 Jan 2022
First published
06 Jan 2022

Mater. Chem. Front., 2022,6, 570-579

One-step synthesis of carbon-doped PPy nanoparticles interspersed in 3D porous melamine foam as a high-performance piezoresistive pressure, strain, and breath sensor

S. Veeralingam, S. Praveen, M. Vemula and S. Badhulika, Mater. Chem. Front., 2022, 6, 570 DOI: 10.1039/D1QM01427G

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements