Self‐Reporting Microsensors Inspired by Noctiluca Scintillans for Small‐Defect Positioning and Electrical‐Stress Visualization in Polymers

Abstract

Abstractsmall defects induce concentrated electrical stress in dielectric polymers, leading to premature failure of materials. Existing sensing methods fail to effectively visualize these defects owing to the invisible‐energy state of the electric field. Thus, it is necessary to establish a nondestructive method for the real‐time detection of small defects in dielectric polymers. In this study, a self‐reporting microsensor (SRM) inspired by Noctiluca scintillans is designed to endow materials with the ability of self‐detection for defects and electrical stress. The SRM leverages the energy of a nearby electric field to emit measurable fluorescence, enabling defect localization and diagnosis as well as electrical‐stress visualization. A controllable dielectric microsphere is constructed to achieve an adjustable electroluminescence threshold for the SRM, thereby increasing its detection accuracy while decreasing the electroluminescence threshold. The potential degradation in the polymer performance owing to SRM implantation is addressed by assembling long molecular chains on the SRM surface to spontaneously generate an interpenetrating network. Results of finite element analyses and experiments demonstrate that the SRM can effectively realize nondestructive visualization and positioning of small defects and concentrated electrical stress in polymers, positioning it as a promising sensing method for monitoring the electric field and charge distribution in materials.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Morning Glory-Inspired Dual-Function Microcapsules for the Self-Reporting and Self-Healing of Electrothermal-Induced Damage of Electrical Devices

“…Epoxy resin is a primary insulation material for high-voltage power equipment and power electronics packaging , that inevitably faces extreme electromagnetic and thermal stresses − during the long-term operation of equipment. These stresses tend to induce tiny defects inside the insulation and eventually cause insulation failures in the equipment or even the collapse of the power grid. − Advance warning of locally concentrated electrothermal stress in epoxy resin materials and early repair of any microscale damage are a fundamental but challenging way to solve these problems. , …”