Underwater Highly Pressure-Sensitive Fabric Based on Electric-Induced Alignment of Graphene

Wearable pressure sensors have received widespread attention owing to their potential applications in areas such as medical diagnosis and human–computer interaction. However, current sensors cannot adapt to extreme environments (e.g., wet and underwater) or show moderate sensitivity. Herein, a highl...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Peiru Zhang, Lili Gu, Weiwei Liu, Dengteng Ge, Lili Yang, Ying Guo, Jianjun Shi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-02-01
Series:Materials
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/4/1567
Description
Summary:Wearable pressure sensors have received widespread attention owing to their potential applications in areas such as medical diagnosis and human–computer interaction. However, current sensors cannot adapt to extreme environments (e.g., wet and underwater) or show moderate sensitivity. Herein, a highly sensitive and superhydrophobic fabric sensor is reported based on graphene/PDMS coating. This wearable sensor exhibits great superhydrophobicity (water contact angle of 153.9°) due to the hydrophobic alkyl long chains and rough structure introduced by the Ar plasma. Owing to the network structure created by the electric-induced alignment of graphene sheets, an enhanced sensitivity (ΔI/I<sub>0</sub> of 55) and fast response time (~100 ms) are observed. Due to its superhydrophobicity and sensitivity, this wearable sensor demonstrates efficient and stable monitoring of various underwater activities, including pressure, blowing, and tapping. Our approach provides an alternative idea for highly sensitive wearable sensors while broadening the practical application scope.
ISSN:1996-1944