Laser direct writing of a multifunctional superhydrophobic composite strain sensor with excellent corrosion resistance and Anti-Icing/Deicing performance
Ke Liu, Chao Yang, Siyuan Zhang, Yao Wang, Rui Zou, Alamusi Alamusi, Qibo Deng, Ning Hu
Abstract
Superhydrophobic composite strain sensors have attracted extensive attention due to their excellent waterproof, anti-icing, flexible and conductive properties, but there are still challenges to prepare it with broad sensing range, superior sensitivity, stable superhydrophobicity, and excellent long-term stability. In this study, we developed a multifunctional superhydrophobic silicone rubber (SR)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/laser-induced graphene (LIG)/SR composite strain sensor using laser direct writing. A highly stable MWCNTs/LIG crosslinked conductive network layer, high-performance superhydrophobic layer, and stretchable SR layer were integrated to fabricate the sensor by tuning the laser parameters. The SR/MWCNTs/LIG/SR composite strain sensor possessed a high gauge factor of 667, large strain detection range of 0–230%, and a stable sensing response over 2500 cycles due to the MWCNTs/LIG crosslinked conductive network. Moreover, the SR/MWCNTs/LIG/SR composite strain sensor could effectively prevent icing owing to its anti-icing (36 [email protected] °C) and photothermal deicing (88 [email protected] W/cm2@NIL) properties and hinder acid and alkaline (pH = 1–14) corrosion attributed to the laser-induced superhydrophobicity, thereby expanding its applications to acid, alkaline, and low-temperature environments. Consequently, the multifunctional superhydrophobic SR/MWCNTs/LIG/SR composite strain sensor is demonstrated to be suitable for human body motion detection in complex and severe environments.