Wearable strain-pressure sensors for detecting electrical signals generated by human activities are being widely investigated because of their diverse potential applications, from observing human motion to health monitoring. In this study, we fabricated reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) hybrid fabric-based strain-pressure sensors using a simple solution process. The structural and chemical properties of the rGO/SWCNT fabrics were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Complex networks containing rGO and SWCNTs were homogeneously formed on the cotton fabric. The sensing performance of the devices was evaluated by measuring the effects of bending strain and pressure. When the CNT content was increased, the change in relative resistance decreased, while durability was significantly improved. The rGO/SWCNT (0.04 wt %) fabric sensor showed particularly high mechanical stability and flexibility during 100 000 bending tests at the extremely small bending radius of 3.5 mm (11.6% bending strain). Moreover, the rGO/SWCNT fabric device exhibited excellent water resistant properties after 10 washing tests due to its hydrophobic nature. Finally, we demonstrated a fabric-sensor-based motion glove and confirmed its practical applicability.
Three-dimensional graphene porous networks (GPNs) have received considerable attention as a nanomaterial for wearable touch sensor applications because of their outstanding electrical conductivity and mechanical stability. Herein, we demonstrate a strain–pressure sensor with high sensitivity and durability by combining molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and Ecoflex with a GPN. The planar sheets of MoS2 bonded to the GPN were conformally arranged with a cracked paddy shape, and the MoS2 nanoflakes were formed on the planar sheet. The size and density of the MoS2 nanoflakes were gradually increased by raising the concentration of (NH4)2MoS4. We found that this conformal nanostructure of MoS2 on the GPN surface can produce improved resistance variation against external strain and pressure. Consequently, our MoS2/GPN/Ecoflex sensors exhibited noticeably improved sensitivity compared to previously reported GPN/polydimethylsiloxane sensors in a pressure test because of the existence of the conformal planar sheet of MoS2. In particular, the MoS2/GPN/Ecoflex sensor showed a high sensitivity of 6.06 kPa–1 at a (NH4)2MoS4 content of 1.25 wt %. At the same time, it displayed excellent durability even under repeated loading–unloading pressure and bending over 4000 cycles. When the sensor was attached on a human temple and neck, it worked correctly as a drowsiness detector in response to motion signals such as neck bending and eye blinking. Finally, a 3 × 3 tactile sensor array showed precise touch sensing capability with complete isolation of electrodes from each other for application to touch electronic applications.
Technological advances in wearable electronics have driven the necessity of a highly sensitive humidity sensor that can precisely detect physiological signals from the human body in real time. Herein, we introduce the anodic aluminum oxide (AAO)-assisted MoS2 honeycomb structure as a resistive humidity sensor with superior sensing performance. The unique honeycomb-like structure consists of MoS2 nanotubes, which can amplify the sensing performance because of their open pores and wider surface absorption sites. The formation of uniform MoS2 nanotubes inside the AAO membrane was manipulated by the number of vacuum filtration cycles of the (NH4)2MoS4 solution. The proposed humidity sensor exhibits an elevated sensitivity that is 2 orders of magnitudes higher than the MoS2 film-based humidity sensor at the relative humidity range of 20–85%. Moreover, the sensor showed significantly faster response and recovery times of 0.47 and 0.81 s. In addition, we demonstrate the multifunctional applications such as noncontact sensation of human fingertips, human breath, speech recognition, and regional sweat rate, which show its promising potential for the next-generation wearable sensors.
Reliable and highly sensitive flexible physical sensors hold great potential for applications in emerging technologies. Among others, of particular importance is to embed the sensor into operations at the hazardous fields, like radioactive zones or nuclear power plants. However, a significant challenge is to develop the radiation tolerant flexible sensors with stable performance under extreme conditions. This study presents a flexible pressure–temperature sensor based on MXene/Fe3O4/graphene porous network/Ecoflex (MFGPNE) and thoroughly investigates the effect of a high dose of γ‐irradiation on their physical and electrical properties. The proposed sensors are characterized by a 4.71 kPa−1 sensitivity to the applied pressure in the range of 0–62.5 kPa and by a 2.23% resistance change per degree in the temperature range of 21–110 °C. The in situ electrical experiments, performed during irradiation of the MFGPNE sensor by 20 kGy of γ‐rays (60Co), reveal the stable and reliable operation of the sensor. Superior radiation stability and pressure–temperature sensitivity are achieved due to the inherent nature of the materials and the sophisticated design of the proposed sensors. Moreover, an MFGPNE sensor‐based prototype gripper for grasping force control by remote monitoring of the press and lift forces demonstrates the application of the proposed sensor.
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