title: Piezoresistive strain sensors made from carbon nanotubes based polymer nanocomposites.
abstract: In recent years, nanocomposites based on various nano-scale carbon fillers, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), are increasingly being thought of as a realistic alternative to conventional smart materials, largely due to their superior electrical properties. Great interest has been generated in building highly sensitive strain sensors with these new nanocomposites. This article reviews the recent significant developments in the field of highly sensitive strain sensors made from CNT/polymer nanocomposites. We focus on the following two topics: electrical conductivity and piezoresistivity of CNT/polymer nanocomposites, and the relationship between them by considering the internal conductive network formed by CNTs, tunneling effect, aspect ratio and piezoresistivity of CNTs themselves, etc. Many recent experimental, theoretical and numerical studies in this field are described in detail to uncover the working mechanisms of this new type of strain sensors and to demonstrate some possible key factors for improving the sensor sensitivity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chiba University, Yayoi-cho 1-33, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522, Japan. alamusi@chiba-u.jp
authors.lastname: Alamusi
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Hisao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fukunaga
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Atobe
authors.forename: Yaolu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jinhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li