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Updated: Oct 18, 2025
Fabrication and Characterization of a Conformal Skin-like Electronic System for Quantitative, Cutaneous Wound Management
Published on: September 2, 2015
Skin-Inspired Hair-Epidermis-Dermis Hierarchical Structures for Electronic Skin Sensors with High Sensitivity over a
Huijun Kong1,2, Zhongqian Song3, Weiyan Li3
1State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, Jilin, P.R. China.
Abstract:
The quest for both high sensitivity and a wide linear range in electronic skin design is perpetual; unfortunately, these two key parameters are generally mutually exclusive. Although limited success in attaining both high sensitivity and a wide linear range has been achieved via material-specific or complicated structure design, addressing the conflict between these parameters remains a critical challenge. Here, inspired by the human somatosensory system, we propose hair-epidermis-dermis hierarchical structures based on a reduced graphene oxide/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) aerogel to reconcile this contradiction between high sensitivity and a wide linear range. This hierarchical structure enables an electronic skin (e-skin) sensor linear sensing range up to 30 kPa without sacrificing the high sensitivity (137.7 kPa-1), revealing an effective strategy to overcome the above-mentioned conflict. In addition, the e-skin sensor also exhibits a low detection limit (1.1 Pa), fast responsiveness (∼80 ms), and excellent stability and reproducibility (over 10 000 cycles); as a result, the e-skin platform is capable of detecting small air flow and monitoring human pulse and even sound-induced vibrations. This structure may boost the ongoing research on the structural design and performance regulation of emerging flexible electronics.
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