Bioinspired Microspines for a High-Performance Spray Ti₃C₂T MXene-Based Piezoresistive Sensor

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Wearable and flexible pressure sensors are crucial for human activity monitoring, biomedical research, and AI interaction.
• Large-scale, low-cost, high-sensitivity piezoresistive sensor fabrication remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate a highly sensitive MXene-based piezoresistive sensor with bioinspired microstructures.
• To investigate the mechanism behind the sensor's high sensitivity and subtle pressure detection capabilities.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a MXene-based sensor using bioinspired microspinous microstructures via abrasive paper stencil printing.
• Characterization of sensor performance, including sensitivity, response time, detection limit, and cycle stability.
• In situ electron microscopy and finite element simulation to elucidate the sensitivity mechanism.

Main Results:

• The sensor achieved high sensitivity (151.4 kPa⁻¹), a low detection limit (4.4 Pa), and rapid response (<130 ms).
• Demonstrated excellent cycle stability (>10,000 cycles).
• Bioinspired microstructures were confirmed to enhance sensitivity and subtle pressure detection.

Conclusions:

• The developed MXene-based sensor offers a promising solution for low-cost, high-sensitivity pressure sensing.
• The bioinspired design effectively enhances sensor performance.
• The sensor shows practical potential in human physiological monitoring, quantitative pressure mapping, and intelligent robot motion detection.