Natural polymer starch-based materials for flexible electronic sensor development: A review of recent progress

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Biocompatible Materials

Background:

• Growing demand for flexible electronic sensors that are conformable and resilient.
• Need for sustainable and biocompatible materials in sensor fabrication.
• Exploration of natural polymers as alternatives to synthetic materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the role of starch-derived natural polymers in developing sustainable and biocompatible flexible electronic sensors.
• To explore innovative strategies for utilizing starch properties in sensor fabrication.
• To analyze the performance of starch-based sensors in detecting various physical stimuli.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review of research on starch-based materials for sensors.
• Analysis of different starch-based material formulations (gels, composites).
• Examination of sensor types (resistive, capacitive, piezoelectric, triboelectric) and their applications.

Main Results:

• Starch-based materials, including gels and composites, are effective for fabricating flexible sensors.
• These sensors demonstrate high performance in detecting strain, temperature, humidity, liquids, and enzymes.
• Starch-based materials offer unique advantages like self-adhesiveness, self-healability, and re-processibility.

Conclusions:

• Starch-based polymers are promising for creating advanced, sustainable flexible electronic sensors.
• Further research is needed to address current challenges and unlock future opportunities in this field.
• These materials enable continuous, non-invasive monitoring of human physiological signals and environmental conditions.