Ceramic hybrid nanofiber-based elastic scaffold pressure sensor with good sensitivity, breathability, and washability

Abstract

Flexible pressure sensors have recently attracted increasing attention. Piezoresistive sensors are widely used in wearable devices, human health monitoring, electronic skin, human-computer interactions, and other fields owing to their good sensitivity and rapid response. The assembly of a pressure sensor using SnO2–ZnO hybrid nanofibers is proposed in this study to improve its performance. The heterojunction at the interface between ZnO and SnO2 facilitates electron transfer from SnO2 to ZnO by suppressing electron-hole recombination and accelerating electron motion in ZnO. The scaffold sensor, as compared to other reported pressure sensors, exhibits better flexibility, optimized sensitivity, and pressure sensing range, and can detect dynamic pressure over a wide range (0–60 kPa). The sensor exhibits strong sensitivity (11.5 kPa−1), fast response and recovery times of 42 and 28 ms, respectively, and durable cyclic stability (600 cycles). This sensor can quickly detect human motion from subtle deformations, including weak changes in the joints of the fingers, wrists, and elbows, with a bending degree of approximately 20°. Owing to its excellent performance, breathability, and washability, it can be directly attached to skin or clothing for long-term use and has broad application prospects in wearable electronics.