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Hybrid Printing for the Fabrication of Smart Sensors
Published on: January 31, 2019
Water-resistive humidity sensor prepared by printing process using polyelectrolyte ink derived from new monomer
1Department of Nanobiomedical Science and WCU Research Center of Nanobiomedical Science, Dankook University, Cheonan, Chungnam 330-714, Korea.
The Analyst
|February 9, 2012
Summary
A novel photocurable monomer enabled stable, humidity-sensitive polyelectrolyte membranes via screen printing. These flexible sensors offer high precision and fast response for reliable humidity detection.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Sensor Technology
Background:
- Developing advanced materials for humidity sensing is crucial for various applications.
- Existing humidity sensors often face challenges with stability, response time, and precision.
- Photocurable polymers offer potential for fabricating robust and precise sensing devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel photocurable polyelectrolyte ink and humidity-sensitive membranes using a new monomer.
- To fabricate flexible humidity sensors via a screen printing process.
- To evaluate the performance and reliability of the developed humidity sensors.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of a new monomer, N-(2-cinnamoyloxy)ethyl-N-(2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl)-N,N-dimethyl ammonium bromide (CMDAB), with photocurable and ammonium salt functionalities.
- Fabrication of humidity-sensitive membranes through photocuring copolymers of [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] dimethyl propyl ammonium bromide (MEPAB), CMDAB, and MMA.
- Pretreatment of flexible gold electrode/polyimide substrates with 2-(mercaptoethyl) cinnamamide (MEC) for polyelectrolyte anchoring.
- Screen printing method for sensor fabrication and performance evaluation.
Main Results:
- The screen-printed sensors demonstrated high humidity precision (±1%RH).
- The photocured copolymer (MEPAB/CMDAB/MMA = 63/7/30) exhibited excellent sensitivity (0.0586 logΩ/%RH) over a wide humidity range (20%-95%), with resistance changing over four orders of magnitude.
- Sensors showed fast response/recovery times, good linearity (R² = -0.9900), minimal hysteresis, and acceptable water resistance and long-term stability.
Conclusions:
- A simple and effective strategy for creating photocurable polyelectrolyte ink and humidity-sensitive membranes was established.
- The developed screen-printed flexible humidity sensors offer high performance, precision, and reliability.
- This technology holds promise for advanced humidity sensing applications.
