Rational Design of Oil-Resistant and Electrically Conductive Fluorosilicone Rubber Foam Nanocomposites for Sensitive...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Smart sensors based on conductive polymer foams are rapidly advancing.
• Developing multifunctional polymer foam composites for complex solvent/oil environments remains challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize novel fluorosilicone rubber foam (FSiRF) materials.
• To create multifunctional FSiRF nanocomposites for advanced smart sensor applications.
• To evaluate sensor performance in challenging solvent conditions.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of vinyl-terminated polytrifluoropropylmethylsiloxane via anionic ring-opening polymerization.
• Fabrication of FSiRF with nanoscale wrinkled surfaces using a green chemical foaming strategy.
• Preparation of F-OKB@FSiRF nanocomposites via dip-coating and fluoroalkylsilane modification.

Main Results:

• Optimized F-OKB@FSiRF nanocomposites show excellent mechanical flexibility (-20 to 200 °C) and structure stability (15 days immersion).
• Achieved superhydrophobicity (WCA 154°) and tunable electrical conductivity (10^-5 to 10^-2 S m^-1).
• Sensor exhibits high sensitivity and anti-swelling properties in nonpolar/weak-polar solvents.

Conclusions:

• The developed F-OKB@FSiRF nanocomposite is a promising multifunctional smart sensor.
• The fabrication strategy offers a viable route for creating advanced polymer foam sensors.
• This work enables broad applications in harsh chemical environments.