Dual cross‐linked self‐healing temperature and pressure sensor based on PAM/ENR/h‐BN composite

Abstract

AbstractSensor of monitor of temperature and pressure changes are garnering constant attention due to their wide applications. It is a challenge to synthesize dual‐functional material with the well‐balanced performance to temperature response and pressure changes. In this work, we have proposed a facile way to fabricate tough, flexible, and self‐healing composite with dually synergistic networks for pressure and temperature sensors, which are composed of polyacrylamide (PAM) and elastic epoxidized natural rubber (ENR). PAM networks are crosslinked by N,N‐methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) and physical crosslinking of hydrophilic hexagonal boron nitride (h‐BN) nanosheets, ENR network is further interlocked and PAM by physical entanglements, hydrogen bonds. It is found that the ternary PAM/ENR/h‐BN (PEB) composite is highly sensitive to temperature, making it can be exploited as a thermistor. This thermistor possesses high flexibility and appealing mechanical performance, with the sensitivity as high as 1.87%/°C at temperature range of −13 to 90°C. Furtherly, the PEB composite also can work as a flexible pressure sensor at operating range of ~80% strain and ~540 KPa. Our research work provides a guideline for the preparation of temperature monitor, piezoresistive pressure sensors, as well as flexible electronic products.