Bending-Stable Pressure Sensor Based on Natural Wood Nanofibers for Ultra-Low Detection Limit

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomimetics

Background:

• Flexible pressure sensors are crucial for electronic skins but suffer from coupled pressure and bending effects, limiting performance on curved surfaces.
• Existing sensors struggle with precise detection and ultralow thresholds due to inherent strain-bending coupling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a flexible pressure sensor that decouples pressure and bending strain for enhanced performance on curved and dynamic surfaces.
• To achieve an ultralow detection limit and demonstrate the sensor's stability, recyclability, and spatial mapping capabilities.

Main Methods:

• A bioinspired all-fiber flexible pressure sensor was fabricated using a natural wood-derived structure mimicking interwoven fiber networks.
• The device utilizes synergistic modulation of dielectric constants and interelectrode spacing to isolate pressure from strain during bending.
• Recyclability was achieved via a dissolving-reproducing strategy, and spatial pressure mapping was performed using machine learning.

Main Results:

• The sensor successfully decouples pressure and bending strain, enabling precise detection on curved and dynamic surfaces.
• A record low detection limit of 0.03 Pa was achieved, alongside exceptional conformability and long-term stability.
• The wood-based sensor demonstrated recyclability and effective spatial pressure mapping.

Conclusions:

• The bioinspired wood-based flexible pressure sensor offers a sustainable, cost-effective, and high-performance solution for physiological and environmental monitoring.
• The pressure-bending strain decoupling mechanism is key to achieving precise sensing on complex surfaces.
• This work paves the way for advanced intelligent electronic skins and wearable devices.