Multifunctional, energy-autonomous textile sensors enabled by spray-coated two-dimensional heterostructures

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Wearable Electronics

Background:

• Two-dimensional (2D) materials offer potential for energy-autonomous wearable electronics.
• Scalable and eco-friendly integration of 2D materials into textiles is a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a sustainable method for fabricating textile-integrated 2D material heterostructures.
• To create multifunctional, self-powered wearable sensors for environmental and physiological monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Ultrasonic spray-coating of water-processable, surfactant-free graphene and transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) heterostructures onto textiles.
• Fabrication of textile-integrated triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) using these 2D materials.
• Characterization of TENG performance, power density, and sensing capabilities for various parameters.

Main Results:

• Achieved a record-high power density of 793 mW m^-2 for single-phase TMD-based textile TENGs.
• Demonstrated self-powered wearable sensing of humidity, temperature, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like acetone and styrene.
• Reported a record responsivity of 126% for styrene vapor detection and reliable body temperature sensing with minimal cross-sensitivity.
• Exhibited mechanical resilience and operational stability over 80 days and 200 bending cycles.

Conclusions:

• The ultrasonic spray-coating method enables scalable and sustainable fabrication of multifunctional textile sensors.
• These wearable sensors pave the way for advanced personalized healthcare technologies with accurate multiparameter sensing.
• The developed TENGs represent a significant advancement in energy-autonomous wearable electronics.