High Sensitivity, All-Organic Piezoelectric Skin Enabled by a Phytic Acid-Assisted Molecular Engineering Strategy

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Electronic skin (e-skin) mimics human skin for wearable healthcare and human-machine interfaces.
• All-organic piezoelectric composites are promising for e-skin due to flexibility.
• Challenges include achieving high piezoelectric performance, stability, and mechanical compliance simultaneously.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop high-performance piezoelectric e-skin using a novel molecular engineering strategy.
• To enhance piezoelectric properties, durability, and mechanical compliance of e-skin materials.
• To demonstrate the application of the developed e-skin in physiological monitoring and human-machine interfaces.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of P(VDF-co-trifluoroethylene)/phytic acid (PVDF-TrFE/PA) composites using a phytic acid-assisted molecular engineering strategy.
• Characterization of piezoelectric properties, including charge and voltage coefficients.
• Development and testing of a high-performance piezoelectric skin (pe-skin) prototype.

Main Results:

• Achieved a high piezoelectric charge coefficient (87 pC N⁻¹) and voltage coefficient (614 mV m N⁻¹).
• Demonstrated enhanced β-phase crystallization and stabilized piezoelectric structure via hydrogen bonding.
• Developed a pe-skin with high sensitivity (35 mV kPa⁻¹), fast response (~70 ms), and robust stability.

Conclusions:

• The phytic acid-assisted strategy enables high-performance, durable, and compliant piezoelectric composites for e-skin.
• The developed pe-skin is suitable for real-time physiological monitoring, pressure mapping, and advanced human-machine interfaces.
• This work presents a viable approach for creating next-generation e-skin for diverse applications.