3D-Printed Graphene/Polydimethylsiloxane Composites for Stretchable and Strain-Insensitive Temperature Sensors.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Real-time temperature monitoring on complex 3D components requires materials with high stretchability and temperature sensitivity.
• Existing sensors often struggle with stability under deformation, limiting their application scope.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel stretchable temperature sensor with enhanced stability and sensitivity.
• To investigate the temperature-sensing properties of cellular graphene/polydimethylsiloxane composites with different microstructures.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of graphene/polydimethylsiloxane composites with controlled cellular structures (grid, triangular, hexagonal) using direct 3D ink-writing.
• Characterization of the temperature-sensing performance of the composites under various external strains.
• Demonstration of practical applications, including monitoring a heated tube's cooling and measuring skin temperature during wrist movement.

Main Results:

• The developed cellular composites exhibited more stable temperature sensitivities compared to solid composites under external strains.
• The grid cellular structure demonstrated particularly stable sensing performance, with only a ~15% decrease in sensitivity at 20% tensile strain.
• The sensors successfully monitored temperature changes in practical scenarios like a cooling tube and dynamic skin temperature.

Conclusions:

• Cellular graphene/polydimethylsiloxane composites, especially with a grid structure, offer a promising solution for stretchable and stable temperature sensing.
• The 3D ink-writing technique enables precise control over microstructure for optimized sensor performance.
• These sensors are suitable for real-time temperature monitoring on complex geometries and under dynamic conditions.