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Extraordinarily Stretchable All-Carbon Collaborative Nanoarchitectures for Epidermal Sensors
Yichen Cai1, Jie Shen2, Ziyang Dai1
1Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics & Institute of Advanced Materials, Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, P. R. China.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|June 17, 2017
Summary
Researchers developed highly stretchable and sensitive epidermal sensors using a 3D graphene foam and carbon nanotube network. These wearable sensors offer high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for real-time physiological monitoring and vibration detection.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Epidermal electronic systems require advanced sensors with high stretchability, sensitivity, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
- Existing flexible sensors often face limitations in performance metrics like stretchability and SNR.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate novel epidermal sensors based on an all-carbon collaborative percolation network.
- To enhance sensor performance, including stretchability, sensitivity, and SNR, for wearable applications.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of 3D graphene foam and carbon nanotube (CNT) networks via two-step chemical vapor deposition.
- Integration of CNTs to augment the stretchability and SNR of the graphene foam structure.
Main Results:
- Achieved a strain sensor with a gauge factor of 35 and a wide sensing range up to 85%.
- Demonstrated excellent cyclic stability exceeding 5000 cycles.
- The all-carbon nanoarchitecture exhibited enhanced stretchability and ultrahigh SNR.
Conclusions:
- The developed epidermal sensors are flexible, reversible, and suitable for wearable devices.
- These sensors enable real-time, high-accuracy detection of electrophysiological signals and acoustic vibrations.
- The scalable and cost-effective all-carbon design shows significant promise for practical applications demanding extreme stretchability and SNR.
