title: A nanofiber based artificial electronic skin with high pressure sensitivity and 3D conformability.
abstract: Pressure sensors with 3D conformability are highly desirable components for artificial electronic skin or e-textiles that can mimic natural skin, especially for application in real-time monitoring of human physiological signals. Here, a nanofiber based electronic skin with ultra-high pressure sensitivity and 3D conformability is designed and built by interlocking two elastic patterned nanofibrous membranes. The patterned membrane is facilely prepared by casting conductive nanofiber ink into a silicon mould to form an array of semi-spheroid-like protuberances. The protuberances composed of intertwined elastic POE nanofibers and PPy@PVA-co-PE nanofibers afford a tunable effective elastic modulus that is capable of capturing varied strains and stresses, thereby contributing to a high sensitivity for pressure sensing. This electronic skin-like sensor demonstrates an ultra-high sensitivity (1.24 kPa(-1)) below 150 Pa with a detection limit as low as about 1.3 Pa. The pixelated sensor array and a RGB-LED light are then assembled into a circuit and show a feasibility for visual detection of spatial pressure. Furthermore, a nanofiber based proof-of-concept wireless pressure sensor with a bluetooth module as a signal transmitter is proposed and has demonstrated great promise for wireless monitoring of human physiological signals, indicating a potential for large scale wearable electronic devices or e-skin.
authors.affiliation: College of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan, 430200, China. wangdon08@126.com windlqz_2000@163.com.
authors.forename: Weibin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: College of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan, 430200, China. wangdon08@126.com windlqz_2000@163.com.
authors.forename: Qiongzhen
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: College of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan, 430200, China. wangdon08@126.com windlqz_2000@163.com.
authors.forename: Yongzhi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: College of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan, 430200, China. wangdon08@126.com windlqz_2000@163.com.
authors.forename: Yuedan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan, 430200, China. wangdon08@126.com windlqz_2000@163.com.
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qing
authors.affiliation: College of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan, 430200, China. wangdon08@126.com windlqz_2000@163.com.
authors.forename: Mufang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan, 430200, China. wangdon08@126.com windlqz_2000@163.com.
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: College of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan, 430200, China. wangdon08@126.com windlqz_2000@163.com.
authors.forename: Wenwen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan, 430200, China. wangdon08@126.com windlqz_2000@163.com.
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D057139:Nanofibers; D011312:Pressure; D017768:Skin, Artificial; D000076251:Wearable Electronic Devices