Flexible, multifunctional sensor based on core-sheath sensing medium for humidity sensing and heat-resistant pressure

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Wearable Technology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Wearable sensors are crucial for human health monitoring but face challenges in lightweight design and multifunctional integration.
• Fiber-shaped sensors offer high sensitivity and accuracy under mechanical deformation but degrade at high temperatures, limiting practical use.
• Existing sensors struggle with functional integration and reliability in extreme environmental conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a multifunctional fiber-shaped sensor with enhanced stability and high-temperature resistance for real-time health monitoring.
• To integrate humidity sensing for respiratory monitoring and liquid molecule recognition with high-temperature pressure sensing.
• To overcome the limitations of current wearable sensors in harsh and complex environmental scenarios.

Main Methods:

• A core-sheath aerogel fibrous multifunctional sensor was fabricated using a one-step coaxial wet-spinning technique.
• The sensor architecture utilizes aramid nanofibers for high-temperature stability and an inner core for sensing functionalities.
• Performance was evaluated for humidity sensing (response, sensitivity, repeatability) and liquid molecule discrimination, alongside high-temperature pressure sensing.

Main Results:

• The developed fiber sensor demonstrated rapid response and ultrahigh sensitivity (3144.74 %/% RH) for humidity detection with excellent repeatability.
• The sensor effectively performed real-time respiratory monitoring and non-contact humidity stimuli detection.
• It successfully discriminated diverse liquid molecules and maintained functionality under extreme high-temperature conditions due to the aramid nanofiber sheath.

Conclusions:

• The intelligent core-sheath fiber sensor provides a robust solution for real-time health monitoring in harsh environments.
• This technology shows significant potential for applications in smart textiles and wearable electronics for complex scenarios.
• The multifunctional sensor overcomes previous limitations, enabling reliable performance under extreme conditions.