Design and Optimization of Piezoresistive PEO/PEDOT:PSS Electrospun Nanofibers for Wearable Flex Sensors
Flexible strain sensors are fundamental devices for application in human body monitoring in areas ranging from health care to soft robotics. Stretchable piezoelectric strain sensors received an ever-increasing interest to design novel, robust and low-cost sensing units for these sensors, with intrin...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-10-01
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| Series: | Nanomaterials |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/10/11/2166 |
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| author | Eve Verpoorten Giulia Massaglia Gianluca Ciardelli Candido Fabrizio Pirri Marzia Quaglio |
| author_facet | Eve Verpoorten Giulia Massaglia Gianluca Ciardelli Candido Fabrizio Pirri Marzia Quaglio |
| author_sort | Eve Verpoorten |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Flexible strain sensors are fundamental devices for application in human body monitoring in areas ranging from health care to soft robotics. Stretchable piezoelectric strain sensors received an ever-increasing interest to design novel, robust and low-cost sensing units for these sensors, with intrinsically conductive polymers (ICPs) as leading materials. We investigated a sensitive element based on crosslinked electrospun nanofibers (NFs) directly collected and thermal treated on a flexible and biocompatible substrate of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The nanostructured active layer based on a blend of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) as the ICP was optimized, especially in terms of the thermal treatment that promotes electrical conductivity through crosslinking of PEO and PSS, preserving the nanostructuration and optimizing the coupling between the sensitive layer and the substrate. We demonstrate that excellent properties can be obtained thanks to the nanostructured active materials. We analyzed the piezoresistive response of the sensor in both compression and traction modes, obtaining an increase in the electrical resistance up to 90%. The Gauge Factors (GFs) reflected the extraordinary piezoresistive behavior observed: 45.84 in traction and 208.55 in compression mode, which is much higher than the results presented in the literature for non-nanostructurated PEDOT. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:12:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-692be28f68b14ea58b47f7bd4f826fcc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-4991 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:12:58Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nanomaterials |
| spelling | doaj.art-692be28f68b14ea58b47f7bd4f826fcc2023-11-20T19:08:31ZengMDPI AGNanomaterials2079-49912020-10-011011216610.3390/nano10112166Design and Optimization of Piezoresistive PEO/PEDOT:PSS Electrospun Nanofibers for Wearable Flex SensorsEve Verpoorten0Giulia Massaglia1Gianluca Ciardelli2Candido Fabrizio Pirri3Marzia Quaglio4Department of Applied Science and Technology, DISAT, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Turin, ItalyDepartment of Applied Science and Technology, DISAT, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Turin, ItalyDepartment of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Turin, ItalyDepartment of Applied Science and Technology, DISAT, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Turin, ItalyDepartment of Applied Science and Technology, DISAT, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Turin, ItalyFlexible strain sensors are fundamental devices for application in human body monitoring in areas ranging from health care to soft robotics. Stretchable piezoelectric strain sensors received an ever-increasing interest to design novel, robust and low-cost sensing units for these sensors, with intrinsically conductive polymers (ICPs) as leading materials. We investigated a sensitive element based on crosslinked electrospun nanofibers (NFs) directly collected and thermal treated on a flexible and biocompatible substrate of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The nanostructured active layer based on a blend of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) as the ICP was optimized, especially in terms of the thermal treatment that promotes electrical conductivity through crosslinking of PEO and PSS, preserving the nanostructuration and optimizing the coupling between the sensitive layer and the substrate. We demonstrate that excellent properties can be obtained thanks to the nanostructured active materials. We analyzed the piezoresistive response of the sensor in both compression and traction modes, obtaining an increase in the electrical resistance up to 90%. The Gauge Factors (GFs) reflected the extraordinary piezoresistive behavior observed: 45.84 in traction and 208.55 in compression mode, which is much higher than the results presented in the literature for non-nanostructurated PEDOT.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/10/11/2166blend polymeric solutionelectrospun PEDOT-PSS nanofiberselectrical conductivitypiezo-resistivityflex mechanical sensor |
| spellingShingle | Eve Verpoorten Giulia Massaglia Gianluca Ciardelli Candido Fabrizio Pirri Marzia Quaglio Design and Optimization of Piezoresistive PEO/PEDOT:PSS Electrospun Nanofibers for Wearable Flex Sensors Nanomaterials blend polymeric solution electrospun PEDOT-PSS nanofibers electrical conductivity piezo-resistivity flex mechanical sensor |
| title | Design and Optimization of Piezoresistive PEO/PEDOT:PSS Electrospun Nanofibers for Wearable Flex Sensors |
| title_full | Design and Optimization of Piezoresistive PEO/PEDOT:PSS Electrospun Nanofibers for Wearable Flex Sensors |
| title_fullStr | Design and Optimization of Piezoresistive PEO/PEDOT:PSS Electrospun Nanofibers for Wearable Flex Sensors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Design and Optimization of Piezoresistive PEO/PEDOT:PSS Electrospun Nanofibers for Wearable Flex Sensors |
| title_short | Design and Optimization of Piezoresistive PEO/PEDOT:PSS Electrospun Nanofibers for Wearable Flex Sensors |
| title_sort | design and optimization of piezoresistive peo pedot pss electrospun nanofibers for wearable flex sensors |
| topic | blend polymeric solution electrospun PEDOT-PSS nanofibers electrical conductivity piezo-resistivity flex mechanical sensor |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/10/11/2166 |
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