Flexible pressure sensor using carbon nanotube-wrapped polydimethylsiloxane microspheres for tactile sensing

• Published in: Sensors and actuators. A. Physical. Vol. 284; pp. 260 - 265
• Main Authors: Xu, Mengdi, Gao, Yang, Yu, Guohui, Lu, Cong, Tan, Jianping, Xuan, Fuzhen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 01.12.2018; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Carbon nanotubes; Dynamic stability; Electromechnial performance; Electronics; Flexible pressure sensor; Microelectromechanical systems; Microspheres; Nanotubes; Polydimethylsiloxane; Polydimethylsiloxane microspheres; Pressure measurement; Pressure sensors; Response time; Sensitivity analysis; Sensitivity enhancement; Sensors; Signal monitoring; Silicone resins; Wearable computers; Wearable electronic; Wearable technology; Polydimethylsiloxane microspheres; Wearable electronic; Flexible pressure sensor; Electromechnial performance
• ISSN: 0924-4247; 1873-3069
• DOI: 10.1016/j.sna.2018.10.040

•Pressure sensor was developed using CNT-wrapped PDMS microspheres (MSs).•The preparation method for the MSs is simple and scalable.•The device with MSs has a larger sensitivity than the one without MSs.•The sensors with MSs can be used for detecting physiological signals. High-performance flexible pressure sensors are highly demanded in wearable electronics for various applications. Herein, a flexible pressure sensor was designed using carbon nanotube (CNT)-wrapped polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microspheres (MSs). Compared to the device with flat configuration, the sensor with CNT-wrapped PDMS MSs has an enhanced sensitivity of −0.111 kPa−1, with a lowest detectable pressure of 0.02 kPa, response time approximately 0.1 s, as well as a long-term dynamic stability more than 10,000 cycles. The sensors with CNT-wrapped PDMS MSs show the potential to be integrated into wearable electronics for real-timely monitoring the physiological signals.