Investigation into a Conductive Composite Matrix Based on Magnetically Sensitive Flexible Sponges

Abstract

This work reports a novel conductive composite matrix based on magnetically sensitive flexible sponges containing a porous polymeric matrix and bidisperse magnetic microspheres dual-coated with gelatin (GE) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). In comparison to the conventional continuous phase, the porous polymeric matrix herein is mainly constructed by sodium alginate (SA) and GE, which displays high flexibility, excellent deformability, and strong stability. The structural characterization, magneto-induced deformation, and magnetic− electric properties of the conductive composite matrix were investigated and they were significantly influenced by the contents of GE and magnetic microspheres. On increasing the GE contents, the electrostatic interactions increased owing to the increased entanglement points and cross-linking degree between polymer molecules, thus reducing the resistance performance of the samples. Meanwhile, the resistances of samples 12; 10 wt % and 12; 40 wt % are 6.83 and 3.94 kΩ under a 400 mT magnetic field, respectively, exhibiting a decreasing trend with the increase of magnetic microspheres. Additionally, the effects of MWCNTs on the electric conductivity were also illustrated. Furthermore, a potential mechanism was proposed to investigate the magnetic-fielddependent electrical properties of the products. Specifically, the iterative loading−unloading of the magnetic field was applied to verify the repeatability and recoverability of the conductive composite matrix. It was found that the electrical resistance and deformation could be synchronously and reversibly changed by the applied magnetic field, which provides a new idea for a new generation of intelligent sensors toward an artificial electric skin and micro-electromechanical system.

Lightweight and flexible sensors based on environmental‐friendly poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) composite foams with porous segregated conductive networks

“…[1][2][3][4] Conductive polymer composites (CPC) are widely applied in monitoring fields due to the light weight, facile processing and low cost, instead of conventional metal-based composites, which could not satisfy the demand of high strain and large-scale folding. [5][6][7][8] Generally, there are two strategies to fabricate the CPCs, containing adopting the polymer matrix which possesses the conductive characteristic, and adding the conductive fillers to endow the composite with conductive property. [9][10][11] Conductivity and conductive structure are crucial to sensitivity and durability of the sensor, which monitors the human activity through the change of electric signal, caused by the deformation of CPC.…”

“…Nowadays, smart devices, such as flexible sensor, have attracted more and more attentions, for monitoring the human activity including electronic skin, muscle motion and healthcare monitoring 1–4 . Conductive polymer composites (CPC) are widely applied in monitoring fields due to the light weight, facile processing and low cost, instead of conventional metal‐based composites, which could not satisfy the demand of high strain and large‐scale folding 5–8 . Generally, there are two strategies to fabricate the CPCs, containing adopting the polymer matrix which possesses the conductive characteristic, and adding the conductive fillers to endow the composite with conductive property 9–11…”

Recent Developments in Polymer Nanocomposite-Based Electrochemical Sensors for Detecting Environmental Pollutants

“…Polymer composites comprising polymer and filler have been receiving significant attention lately. When a copolymer or polymer is utilized as a matrix or when nanofillers get dispersed in the polymer matrix, − it constructs a polymer nanocomposite. The properties of these composites are often dominated by the filler.…”

Investigation into the Output Force Characteristics of an Electric Actuator Based on Sodium Alginate and Polyvinyl Alcohol

“…Bionic artificial muscle refers to a new type of flexible actuator that imitates human muscle movement based on the bionics principle. Due to the rise of bionics, bionic artificial muscle has developed rapidly in recent years. − Many kinds of materials, e.g., hydrogel, shape memory polymer, electroactive polymer (EAP), and liquid crystal elastomer, have been used in the preparation of bionic artificial muscle, which are mostly actuated by air, electric field, and magnetic field. − Bionic artificial muscles made of EAP are widely used in bionic robots, mechanical engineering, and biomedical engineering. − EAP can be divided into ion-actuated EAP and electric field-actuated EAP according to their different actuating modes. Ion-actuated EAPs have attracted great attention in academia for its low actuating voltage, light weight, flexible movement, low energy consumption, good flexibility, large deformation, and indefatigability. − …”