Epoxy resin reinforced high-performance conductive composite foam with ultra-wide pressure sensing range

Abstract

Flexible piezoresistive sensors based on conductive polymer composites (CPCs) have shown great potential and application in smart wearable devices, sports and health monitoring. Nevertheless, the practical use of many CPCs pressure sensors is often limited by their narrow monitoring range and low sensitivity. Here, a thermoplastic urethane/ epoxy resin/ carbon nanotubes/ polydopamine/ Ti3C2TX MXene (TPU/EP/CNT/PDA/MXene) composite foam was prepared using the commonly used freeze-drying and impregnation methods. Due to the high strength of the EP/TPU foam matrix and CNT@MXene's internal and external synergistic conductive network, the TECPMF has outstanding mechanical and conductive properties. As a result, the foam pressure sensor has an extremely wide monitoring range (0∼300 kPa) and a sensitivity of 2.42 kPa−1 (0∼5 kPa). Furthermore, the superior performance of the foam provides fast response (100 ms) and outstanding durability of more than 8000 cycles. The piezoresistive TECPMF sensor can be used for real-time monitoring of human movement, as well as the magnitude and position of various pressures and air pressures. These promise to enable a wide range of smart wearable and engineering applications. This work opens up a new avenue for the design of more advanced piezoresistive sensors.