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Updated: Jul 12, 2026
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Strain Sensing Based on Multiscale Composite Materials Reinforced with Graphene Nanoplatelets
Published on: November 7, 2016
Passive stretchable infrared modulator and reversible strain sensor based on a nano/microstructured metal-elastomer
Rehab Ramadan1,2,3, Vicente Torres-Costa4,5, Raúl J Martín-Palma4,5,6
1Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Minia University, Minya, 61519, Egypt. rehabramadan@mu.edu.eg.
Scientific Reports
|July 10, 2026
Summary
This study presents a stretchable composite material with tunable infrared optical properties, activated purely by mechanical force. Different gold layer thicknesses enable either transmission modulation or reflectance-based thermal camouflage.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Optics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Development of tunable optical materials is crucial for advanced infrared applications.
- Existing tunable optical devices often require electrical power, limiting their use in certain scenarios.
- Mechanically actuated materials offer a passive alternative for optical property modulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design, fabricate, and characterize a stretchable composite with mechanically tunable optical properties in the thermal infrared range.
- To investigate the influence of active layer thickness on the material's optical response under mechanical deformation.
- To assess the material's potential as a strain sensor, infrared modulator, and its long-term stability.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a composite material using a Styrene-Ethylene-Butylene-Styrene (SEBS) elastomeric substrate micro-patterned and coated with a gold layer.
- Mechanical characterization involving stretching and compressing the composite to induce changes in transmittance and reflectance.
- Optical characterization in the thermal infrared spectral range for different gold layer thicknesses (30 nm and 60 nm).
Main Results:
- The composite exhibits reversible changes in transmittance and reflectance upon mechanical deformation without external power.
- A 30 nm gold layer enhances transmittance (10% to 43%) under 100% strain, suitable for IR modulation.
- A 60 nm gold layer decreases reflectance (55% to 15%), suitable for thermal camouflage, demonstrating thickness-dependent modulation.
Conclusions:
- Metal layer thickness dictates the dominant modulation mode (transmission vs. reflectance) in mechanically actuated infrared devices.
- The developed material is a versatile platform for passive, mechanically driven infrared applications, including strain sensing and modulation.
- The material demonstrates excellent stability over 1000 cycles, even with nanoscale crack formation, highlighting its robustness.
