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Strain Sensing Based on Multiscale Composite Materials Reinforced with Graphene Nanoplatelets
Published on: November 7, 2016
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Sensitive electromechanical sensors using viscoelastic graphene-polymer nanocomposites
Conor S Boland1, Umar Khan1, Gavin Ryan1
1School of Physics, Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN) and Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research (AMBER) Research Centers, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|December 13, 2016
Summary
Graphene in Silly Putty creates advanced sensors. These nanocomposites show unique electrical responses to strain, enabling precise measurements of physiological signals and impacts.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Graphene's role in polymer nanocomposites is not fully understood, especially in viscoelastic matrices.
- Polysilicone, a common viscoelastic polymer (like Silly Putty), is a suitable matrix for exploring these effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the electromechanical properties of graphene-polysilicone nanocomposites.
- To understand the relationship between graphene nanosheet mobility and the observed electrical behavior.
- To develop a model explaining the unusual electromechanical responses.
Main Methods:
- Incorporating graphene into a lightly cross-linked polysilicone matrix.
- Characterizing the electromechanical properties, including electrical resistance and resistivity changes with strain.
- Analyzing nanosheet connectivity and mobility within the polymer.
- Developing and validating a quantitative model for electromechanical behavior.
Main Results:
- Graphene significantly alters the electromechanical properties of polysilicone.
- Unusual behaviors observed: temporal relaxation of electrical resistance and nonmonotonic resistivity changes with strain.
- These phenomena are linked to graphene nanosheet mobility in the low-viscosity matrix.
- A quantitative model accurately describes the observed properties based on connectivity and mobility.
Conclusions:
- Graphene-polysilicone nanocomposites exhibit unique electromechanical properties driven by nanosheet dynamics.
- The developed model provides a comprehensive understanding of these properties.
- These materials function as highly sensitive electromechanical sensors with potential applications in measuring pulse, blood pressure, and subtle impacts.
