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Updated: Jan 20, 2026
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Ionic Bonds and Electrolytes
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A bioinspired hydrogen bond-triggered ultrasensitive ionic mechanoreceptor skin
Vipin Amoli1, Joo Sung Kim1, Eunsong Jee1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea.
Nature Communications
|September 7, 2019
Summary
Researchers developed an ultrasensitive ionic mechanoreceptor skin inspired by biological cells. This artificial skin surpasses natural mechanoreceptors in pressure sensing and enables advanced control for wearable drone applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biomimetics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Biological cellular structures inspire synthetic designs mimicking natural functions.
- Developing artificial mechanoreceptors with high sensitivity and wide pressure range is a key challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create a synthetic multicellular hybrid ion pump emulating biological cellular structures.
- To fabricate an ionic mechanoreceptor skin with enhanced pressure-sensing capabilities.
Main Methods:
- Designed a hybrid ion pump using hydrogen-bonded ion pairs on silica microstructures within a polyurethane matrix.
- Investigated ionic pumping triggered by hydrogen bonds under external stimuli.
- Fabricated an ionic mechanoreceptor skin and integrated it into a wearable drone microcontroller.
Main Results:
- The ionic mechanoreceptor skin exhibits ultrasensitivity (48.1-5.77 kPa⁻¹) across a wide pressure spectrum (0-135 kPa) at ultra-low voltage (1 mV).
- The artificial skin surpasses the pressure-sensing capabilities of natural skin mechanoreceptors.
- Demonstrated simultaneous and selective control of aerial drone flight direction and speed.
Conclusions:
- The developed ionic mechanoreceptor skin offers a promising platform for advanced tactile sensing.
- This biomimetic approach enables the creation of high-performance artificial skin for various applications, including wearable electronics and robotics.
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