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Eggshell-inspired membrane—shell strategy for simultaneously improving the sensitivity and detection range of strain sensors

蛋类膜-壳结构启发制备兼具高灵敏度和宽检测范围的应变传感

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Abstract

The tradeoff between sensitivity and detection range (maximum and minimum stretchability) is a key limitation in strain sensors; to resolve this, we develop an efficient and novel strategy herein to fabricate a highly sensitive and stretchable strain sensor inspired by the membrane-shell structure of poultry eggs. The developed sensor comprises a soft and stretchable surface-grafting polypyrrole (s-PPy) film (acting as the membrane) and a brittle Au film (acting as the shell), wherein both films complement each other at the electrical and mechanical levels. Au forms cracks under strain contributing to its high sensitivity and low detection limit, and s-PPy can bridge Au cracks and increase stretchability which has not been used in strain sensors before. The surface-grafting strategy not only enhances interface adhesion but also tunes the brittle property of native PPy to render it stretchable. Utilizing the synergetic effect of the membrane-shell complementary structure, the strain sensors achieve ultrahigh sensitivity (>107), large stretchability (100%), and an ultralow detection limit (0.1%), demonstrating significant progress in the field of strain sensors. The membrane-shell (Au/s-PPy)-structured strain sensor can successfully detect finger motion, wrist rotation, airflow fluctuation, and voice vibration; these movements produce strain in the range of subtle to marked deformations. Results evidence the ultrahigh performance and bright application prospects of the developed strain sensors.

摘要

为了解决可拉伸应变传感器的灵敏度与检测范围(最大和最小可拉伸性)之间相互制约的问题. 受蛋类膜-壳结构的启发, 本文提出了一种构筑具有高灵敏度、 宽可拉伸应变传感器的新策略, 即基于柔性可拉伸的表面接枝聚吡咯膜(s-PPy)(类似于蛋膜)和脆性金膜(类似于蛋壳)制备器件. Au和s-PPy膜在电学和机械性能上产生相互协同作用. Au膜在拉伸应变下形成裂纹, 有助于提高应变传感器的灵敏度并降低其检测极限, 而s-PPy膜桥接Au膜裂纹以增加器件的可拉伸性, 这一策略在应变传感器中从未使用过. 表面接枝策略不仅增强界面附着力, 而且使天然脆性的聚吡咯膜表现出优异的可拉伸性. 在本论文中, 依靠膜-壳互补结构的协同作用, 应变传感器实现了超高灵敏度(超过107), 宽拉伸范围(100%)以及超低检测极限(0.1%), 这些性能指标将推动应变传感器领域的重大进步. 而且, 这种基于Au/s-PPy膜-壳结构的可拉伸应变传感器可应用于手指弯曲、 手腕旋转、 气流波动和声音振动等从微小变形到大范围变形的应变检测. 以上结果表明基于Au/s-PPy膜-壳结构的可拉伸应变传感器具有超高性能和广阔的应用前景.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the National Key Research and Development Program (2018YFA0703200 and 2016YFB0401100), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21573277, 51503221 and 21905199), Tianjin Natural Science Foundation (19JCJQJC62600 and 194214030036), and the Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences of Chinese Academy of Sciences (QYZDB -SSW-SLH031).

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  1. These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Advanced Nano-materials Division, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics (SINANO), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Suzhou, 215123, China

    Hongwei Li  (李红卫), Ziting Tan  (谭子婷), Liqian Yuan  (苑力倩) & Liqiang Li  (李立强)

  2. Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Institute of Molecular Aggregation Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China

    Jie Li  (李洁), Xiaosong Chen  (陈小松), Deyang Ji  (纪德洋), Wenping Hu  (胡文平) & Liqiang Li  (李立强)

  3. i-lab, SINANO, CAS, Suzhou, 215123, China

    Kai Zhang  (张凯)

  4. International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D Materials for Optoelectronics Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China

    Hongwei Li  (李红卫)

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  1. Hongwei Li  (李红卫)
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Contributions

Author contributions Li H performed the fabrication, measurements and mechanism analysis of the strain sensor. Tan Z, Yuan L assisted in the experiments. Li L, Li H and Tan Z analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript. Li L conceived and supervised this work. Hu W, Zhang K, Ji D, Chen X and Li J provided valuable and constructive suggestions.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Liqiang Li  (李立强).

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Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Hongwei Li, is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at the Collaborative Innovation Center for Optoelectronic Science & Technology of Shenzhen University and i-Lab of Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). She obtained her PhD from Beijing University of Technology (2015), and worked as a postdoctoral research associate at the Advanced Nano-materials Division, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics (SINANO), CAS (2016–2018). Her current research interest focuses on the photodetectors and strain sensors based on 2D materials and polymers.

Ziting Tan is currently a PhD student at the School of Nano Technology and Nano Bionics, University of Science and Technology of China, under the supervision of Prof. Liqiang Li. She is currently focusing on the flexible devices, growth of 2D materials, and interface physical effects of the organic field-effect transistor.

Liqiang Li is currently a full professor at the Institute of Molecular Aggregation Science, Tianjin University. He received his Bachelor’s degree (2002) and Master’s degree (2005) from Nankai University. He obtained his doctoral degree in physical chemistry (2008) from the Institute of Chemistry, CAS (ICCAS). Then, he worked as a postdoctoral scholar at the Institute of Physics, Muenster University, Germany. In 2014, he joined SINANO, CAS. He moved to Tianjin University in 2019. His research activities concentrate on the assembly, property, and electronic applications of molecular materials (organic semiconductor, conducting polymer, and nano-carbon).

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Li, H., Tan, Z., Yuan, L. et al. Eggshell-inspired membrane—shell strategy for simultaneously improving the sensitivity and detection range of strain sensors. Sci. China Mater. 64, 717–726 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-020-1473-8

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