Breathable Nanomesh pressure sensor with layered polyaniline grown at Gas-liquid interface

Abstract

High performance pressure sensing device fabricated by coating conductive polymers on flexible substrates attracts research focuses in the field of wearable devices currently. The most common method for polymerization of conductive polyaniline (PANI) in aqueous solution, generally causing problems of damage to flexible substrate, poor effect of polymerization and environmental pollution. In this study, a novel low-temperature gas–liquid interface polymerization method for PANI polymerization is developed to fabricate core–shell conductive fibrous membrane. By skillfully taking advantage of volatility of aniline monomer, layered conductive PANI grows vertically on the surface of electrospun fibers at gas–liquid interface instead of in traditional aqueous solution. The degree of PANI polymerization based on this method is controllable by glycerin, which can be analyzed by an established model. The sensor fabricated by this method demonstrates superior performance with a high sensitivity of 10.62 kPa−1, fast response time (60 ms) and subtle detection limit (5.1 Pa) compared with that prepared by traditional liquid polymerization. This breathable sensor can detect human signal detection effectively, and develop a variety of intelligent applications. In brief, this work provides a novel strategy and facile technology for developing flexible intelligent devices with conductive polymers.