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Updated: Jun 9, 2025
Sensitivity Enhancement of Soft Capacitive Pressure Sensors Using a Solvent Evaporation-Based Porosity Control Technique
Published on: March 24, 2023
Spray-Coated Ultrathin and Porous Films for Physiological Sensing and Force Detection.
Tang Li1, Yichen Ding1, Chao Teng2
1Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Material and Technology, MOE, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China.
Researchers developed breathable, ultrathin epidermal electronic electrodes using phase separation and spray coating. These electrodes offer excellent skin adhesion and performance for long-term wear and force sensing applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biomedical Engineering
- Wearable Technology
Background:
- Long-term epidermal electronics require breathable, comfortable, and non-irritating materials for wearability.
- Existing epidermal electronic electrodes often face challenges with adhesion, impedance, and long-term stability.
- The development of advanced materials is crucial for improving the performance and practicality of epidermal electronics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate highly breathable and ultrathin epidermal electronic electrodes and porous pressure sensors.
- To evaluate the performance characteristics of the fabricated electrodes, including water vapor transmission rate, sheet resistance, and thickness.
- To assess the electrode-skin impedance and conformal contact capabilities for enhanced signal transduction.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a combination of phase separation and spray coating techniques for electrode fabrication.
- Developed micrometer-scale porous pressure sensors integrated with the electrodes.
- Incorporated a biogel to reduce electrode-skin impedance and improve conformal contact.
Main Results:
- Fabricated porous, ultrathin electrodes with a thickness below 5 μm.
- Achieved a high water vapor transmission rate of 18.4 mg·cm-2·h-1, indicating excellent breathability.
- Demonstrated low sheet resistance (5.2 Ω/sq) and significantly reduced electrode-skin impedance compared to commercial gel electrodes.
- Exhibited excellent performance in force sensing applications.
Conclusions:
- The developed strategy efficiently produces breathable, ultrathin epidermal electronic electrodes and sensors.
- The fabricated electrodes offer superior skin conformability and reduced impedance for reliable, long-term wear.
- This approach proves the efficiency and practicality of creating advanced epidermal electronics for various sensing applications.
