Stretchable and recyclable In₃SnBi/PU nanofiber composite as flexible sensors for human motion monitoring

Abstract

Low-melting-point metal alloys (LMMAs) have great potential for application in soft sensors. However, the high cost limits the application of gallium-based liquid metals. In this paper, LMMA In3SnBi has been designed and prepared through a facile melt-mixing process followed by an ultrasonic dispersion technique. To overcome the fragility of low-melting-point alloys, flexible electrospun polyurethane (PU) matrix is used as structural support. When used as a sensor, the composite film exhibits a response time of 54.37 ms within a strain range of 15%. In addition, the composite film exhibits self-healing properties, and cracks generated by cyclic stretching can be repaired through a hot-pressing process. The current work presents a versatile fabrication strategy for LMMA-based flexible sensors, which holds great promise in the field of wearable electronic devices.