Construction and Performance of a Nanocellulose–Graphene-Based Humidity Sensor with a Fast Response and Excellent Stability

Abstract

Humidity sensors have been widely applied in environmental monitoring, respiratory monitoring, electronic skin, noncontact switch, etc. However, weak interface interactions between a flexible substrate and conductive fillers will deteriorate the sensing performance. Herein, a flexible, rapid-response, and durable humidity sensor was proposed via employing cellulose nanofiber (CNF)-dispersed graphene (Gr) as a humidity sensing layer, which could be easily filtered onto a coessential CNF film (CNFF) to form the humidity sensor. CNFs as a dispersant and bonder strengthened the adhesion of graphene on the surface of the CNFF substrate. Simultaneously, CNFs as a reservoir provided abundant adsorption sites to capture water molecules and promoted electron transfer from adsorbed water molecules to graphene, further amplifying electrical signals by a hygroscopic expansion of the sensing layer under humidity conditions. Benefiting from this unique composition and structure, the prepared humidity sensor exhibited a rapid response (45 s) and recovery time (33 s), low hysteresis (4%), wide RH detection range (15–99%), and long-term stability (15 days). Further, the sensor could monitor the humidity of human skin and human breath, indicating a versatile noncontact humidity sensing function by altering its component proportion of CNF-to-Gr on demand.