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Wearable and washable textile-based strain sensors via a single-step, environment-friendly method

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Abstract

Recently, soft and stretchable strain sensors that can be incorporated into textiles have attracted significantly increasing interest for use in a diverse range of applications. However, the simple fabrication of stretchable devices that exhibit excellent sensing performance, are highly durability and are a good fit to the human body remains a challenge. Herein, we describe the fabrication of a new flexible strain sensor on a traditional polyester fabric using a one-step method that involves the reduction of graphene oxide (GO) using ascorbic acid (L-AA). The resulting textile-based strain sensors could be washed, exhibited long-term stability, and had a negative linear response that gave a good sensing response when used in wearable applications. In addition to effectively detecting human motions, the textile was modified such that it could detect ultra-large deformations. The impressive mechanical performance, durability and the ability to capture and monitor a variety of human actions and motions mean that these textile-based sensors have great potential in biomonitoring, soft co-robotics, and human-machine interactions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu, 610054, China

    Teng Sun, YaDong Jiang, ZaiHua Duan, Zhen Yuan, Yang Wang & HuiLing Tai

Authors
  1. Teng Sun
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  2. YaDong Jiang
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  3. ZaiHua Duan
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  4. Zhen Yuan
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  5. Yang Wang
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  6. HuiLing Tai
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to HuiLing Tai.

Additional information

This work was supported by the National Science Funds for Excellent Young Scholars of China (Grant No. 61822106), National Science Funds for Creative Research Groups of China (Grant No. 61421002) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61671115).

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Sun, T., Jiang, Y., Duan, Z. et al. Wearable and washable textile-based strain sensors via a single-step, environment-friendly method. Sci. China Technol. Sci. 64, 441–450 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-019-1567-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-019-1567-y

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