Flexible Sensors with Robust Wear-Resistant and Sensing Ability: Insight on the Microcrack Structure, Multiple Interfacial Bonds, and Possible Sensing Mechanisms
Bin Xue, Hou–Yong Yu, Chengling Huang, Somia Yassin Hussain Abdalkarim, Xiang Chen, Chuang Wang, Xia He, Yanjuan Dong
Abstract
With the fast growth of wearable intelligent devices, flexible sensors with a broad strain sensing range and high sensitivity are in urgent demand. Furthermore, the sensitivity of flexible wearable electronic devices to various signal capture depends on multiple interfacial bond interactions and a microstructure. However, a flexible sensor without multiple interfacial bonds has poor mechanical properties, low sensitivity/conductivity, and single sensing function to limit commercial sensor application. In this work, the novel dip-coating technique was used to design a flexible sensor based on polyvinyl alcohol with multiple interfacial bond interactions and a microcrack structure. Interestingly, the sensor exhibits high sensitivity with gauge factor > 100, a high conductivity of 356 mS m –1, impressive thermal sensitivity (0.01071 °C –1 ), a large strain of 344.5%, and excellent wear-resistance and durability. Possible sensing mechanisms under multiple stimuli have been presented. Moreover, flexible sensors with multiple signal monitoring can monitor real-time full-range human body motion and physical signal collection, providing a promising strategy to develop this sensor with outstanding performance in flexible sensor and sporting applications.