Issue 9, 2020

Surface structure engineering for a bionic fiber-based sensor toward linear, tunable, and multifunctional sensing

Abstract

Flexible and stretchable strain sensors have broad applications in human physiological activities, object deformation, as well as human–machine interface. However, it is still challenging to fabricate stretchable strain sensors with linear and superior piezoresistive signal response. Herein, we report a facile and scalable microstructure design strategy to generate a unique segmental hierarchical fiber-surface structure that mimics an arthropod's body and a lobster's tail structure for achieving linear strain sensing response. The alternate modulus difference of the micro-nanoscale segmental soft (thermoplastic polyurethane, TPU)-hard (polystyrene, PS) configurations enables the initiation of significant strain concentration effect, which is consistent with the finite element analysis, thus allowing to tune the sensing properties, for e.g., the linear degree varies from 0.48 to 0.99 and the gauge factor ranges from 5.25 to 23 800 for the strain within 30%. The bionic structured fiber sensors demonstrate potential applications for the detection of human skin epidermal disturbance, small curvature changes, sound wave vibration, as well as mechanochromic response if a fluorescent agent is added to the TPU core. Besides, they are also capable of detecting various types of organic vapors due to the strain amplification effect heterogeneous structure design, paving a new way for the design of multifunctional flexible sensors for variable human–machine interface applications.

Graphical abstract: Surface structure engineering for a bionic fiber-based sensor toward linear, tunable, and multifunctional sensing

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
30 Apr. 2020
Accepted
30 Jūn. 2020
First published
30 Jūn. 2020

Mater. Horiz., 2020,7, 2450-2459

Surface structure engineering for a bionic fiber-based sensor toward linear, tunable, and multifunctional sensing

J. Jia, J. Pu, J. Liu, X. Zhao, K. Ke, R. Bao, Z. Liu, M. Yang and W. Yang, Mater. Horiz., 2020, 7, 2450 DOI: 10.1039/D0MH00716A

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