Flexible and Stretchable Temperature Sensors Fabricated Using Solution-Processable Conductive Polymer Composites.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Accurate physiological temperature monitoring is crucial for diagnosing and tracking medical conditions.
• Existing temperature sensors may lack the flexibility or stretchability required for continuous, non-invasive patient monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, fabricate, and characterize novel temperature sensors using conductive polymer composites (CPCs).
• To evaluate the performance of these sensors on flexible and stretchable substrates for potential use in healthcare monitoring devices.

Main Methods:

• Developed polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)-reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composites with varying rGO concentrations (3-12 wt%).
• Fabricated sensors using drop coating and direct ink writing (DIW) on flexible and stretchable substrates.
• Characterized sensor performance, including temperature-dependent resistivity, selectivity, and thermal mapping capabilities.

Main Results:

• The PHB-rGO composites exhibited temperature-dependent resistivity and electrical percolation behavior around the percolation threshold.
• Sensors demonstrated good selectivity to temperature over pressure and moisture.
• Achieved a temperature coefficient of resistance of 0.008 /°C for 3 wt% samples and demonstrated thermal mapping with sensor arrays.

Conclusions:

• The developed PHB-rGO conductive polymer composites are suitable for fabricating flexible and stretchable temperature sensors.
• These sensors show significant potential for advanced, non-invasive physiological temperature monitoring in wearable healthcare devices.