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A Hybrid Chitosan-BaTiO3 Composite-Based Flexible and Self-Powered Pressure Sensor for Wearable Healthcare
Zhao Wang1, Bhavani Prasad Yalagala2, Jungang Zhang2
1Centre for Medical and Industrial Ultrasonics, James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, University Avenue, Glasgow G12 8QQ, U.K.
ACS Applied Engineering Materials
|July 29, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed a flexible, highly sensitive pressure sensor using a chitosan-Barium Titanate nanoparticle composite. This advancement promises improved wearable healthcare devices with enhanced performance and biocompatibility.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Wearable pressure sensors are crucial for IoT, healthcare, and robotics, demanding flexible, sensitive, and self-powered materials.
- Existing piezoelectric materials often involve trade-offs between sensitivity, biocompatibility, and response time.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel biopolymer composite-based piezoelectric material for advanced wearable healthcare pressure sensors.
- To investigate the effect of Barium Titanate nanoparticle concentration on sensor performance.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of piezoelectric dynamic pressure sensors and a 5x5 array using a chitosan-Barium Titanate (BaTiO3) nanoparticle hybrid composite.
- Testing sensor performance with varying BaTiO3 NP concentrations (5, 10, 15 wt%).
- Validation of mechanical flexibility over 10,000 cycles.
Main Results:
- Sensors exhibited high pressure sensitivities (105-276 mV/kPa) and frequency sensitivities (448-2564 mV/Hz) that increased linearly with BaTiO3 NP concentration.
- The 15 wt% BaTiO3 composite showed an 11-fold increase in sensitivity compared to pure chitosan.
- The sensor demonstrated excellent long-term stability and mechanical flexibility.
Conclusions:
- The chitosan-BaTiO3 nanoparticle composite offers a promising pathway for highly flexible, sensitive, and biocompatible wearable electronic devices.
- This material advancement addresses limitations in current piezoelectric sensors for healthcare applications.
