Flexible Ecoflex<sup>®</sup>/Graphene Nanoplatelet Foams for Highly Sensitive Low-Pressure Sensors
The high demand for multifunctional devices for smart clothing applications, human motion detection, soft robotics, and artificial electronic skins has encouraged researchers to develop new high-performance flexible sensors. In this work, we fabricated and tested new 3D squeezable Ecoflex<sup>...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2020-08-01
|
| Series: | Sensors |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/16/4406 |
| _version_ | 1827711147472584704 |
|---|---|
| author | Marco Fortunato Irene Bellagamba Alessio Tamburrano Maria Sabrina Sarto |
| author_facet | Marco Fortunato Irene Bellagamba Alessio Tamburrano Maria Sabrina Sarto |
| author_sort | Marco Fortunato |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The high demand for multifunctional devices for smart clothing applications, human motion detection, soft robotics, and artificial electronic skins has encouraged researchers to develop new high-performance flexible sensors. In this work, we fabricated and tested new 3D squeezable Ecoflex<sup>®</sup> open cell foams loaded with different concentrations of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) in order to obtain lightweight, soft, and cost-effective piezoresistive sensors with high sensitivity in a low-pressure regime. We analyzed the morphology of the produced materials and characterized both the mechanical and piezoresistive response of samples through quasi-static cyclic compression tests. Results indicated that sensors infiltrated with 1 mg of ethanol/GNP solution with a GNP concentration of 3 mg/mL were more sensitive and stable compared to those infiltrated with the same amount of ethanol/GNP solution but with a lower GNP concentration. The electromechanical response of the sensors showed a negative piezoresistive behavior up to ~10 kPa and an opposite trend for the 10–40 kPa range. The sensors were particularly sensitive at very low deformations, thus obtaining a maximum sensitivity of 0.28 kPa<sup>−1</sup> for pressures lower than 10 kPa. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:49:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-364b3564cf134e22b415fe4a67ec1af5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:49:40Z |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-364b3564cf134e22b415fe4a67ec1af52023-11-20T09:23:46ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202020-08-012016440610.3390/s20164406Flexible Ecoflex<sup>®</sup>/Graphene Nanoplatelet Foams for Highly Sensitive Low-Pressure SensorsMarco Fortunato0Irene Bellagamba1Alessio Tamburrano2Maria Sabrina Sarto3Nanotechnology Research Center Applied to Engineering (CNIS), Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyNanotechnology Research Center Applied to Engineering (CNIS), Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyNanotechnology Research Center Applied to Engineering (CNIS), Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyNanotechnology Research Center Applied to Engineering (CNIS), Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyThe high demand for multifunctional devices for smart clothing applications, human motion detection, soft robotics, and artificial electronic skins has encouraged researchers to develop new high-performance flexible sensors. In this work, we fabricated and tested new 3D squeezable Ecoflex<sup>®</sup> open cell foams loaded with different concentrations of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) in order to obtain lightweight, soft, and cost-effective piezoresistive sensors with high sensitivity in a low-pressure regime. We analyzed the morphology of the produced materials and characterized both the mechanical and piezoresistive response of samples through quasi-static cyclic compression tests. Results indicated that sensors infiltrated with 1 mg of ethanol/GNP solution with a GNP concentration of 3 mg/mL were more sensitive and stable compared to those infiltrated with the same amount of ethanol/GNP solution but with a lower GNP concentration. The electromechanical response of the sensors showed a negative piezoresistive behavior up to ~10 kPa and an opposite trend for the 10–40 kPa range. The sensors were particularly sensitive at very low deformations, thus obtaining a maximum sensitivity of 0.28 kPa<sup>−1</sup> for pressures lower than 10 kPa.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/16/4406low-pressure sensorfoamgraphenenanoplateletsEcoflex<sup>®</sup>positive piezoresistivity |
| spellingShingle | Marco Fortunato Irene Bellagamba Alessio Tamburrano Maria Sabrina Sarto Flexible Ecoflex<sup>®</sup>/Graphene Nanoplatelet Foams for Highly Sensitive Low-Pressure Sensors Sensors low-pressure sensor foam graphene nanoplatelets Ecoflex<sup>®</sup> positive piezoresistivity |
| title | Flexible Ecoflex<sup>®</sup>/Graphene Nanoplatelet Foams for Highly Sensitive Low-Pressure Sensors |
| title_full | Flexible Ecoflex<sup>®</sup>/Graphene Nanoplatelet Foams for Highly Sensitive Low-Pressure Sensors |
| title_fullStr | Flexible Ecoflex<sup>®</sup>/Graphene Nanoplatelet Foams for Highly Sensitive Low-Pressure Sensors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Flexible Ecoflex<sup>®</sup>/Graphene Nanoplatelet Foams for Highly Sensitive Low-Pressure Sensors |
| title_short | Flexible Ecoflex<sup>®</sup>/Graphene Nanoplatelet Foams for Highly Sensitive Low-Pressure Sensors |
| title_sort | flexible ecoflex sup r sup graphene nanoplatelet foams for highly sensitive low pressure sensors |
| topic | low-pressure sensor foam graphene nanoplatelets Ecoflex<sup>®</sup> positive piezoresistivity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/16/4406 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT marcofortunato flexibleecoflexsupsupgraphenenanoplateletfoamsforhighlysensitivelowpressuresensors AT irenebellagamba flexibleecoflexsupsupgraphenenanoplateletfoamsforhighlysensitivelowpressuresensors AT alessiotamburrano flexibleecoflexsupsupgraphenenanoplateletfoamsforhighlysensitivelowpressuresensors AT mariasabrinasarto flexibleecoflexsupsupgraphenenanoplateletfoamsforhighlysensitivelowpressuresensors |