Abstract
In this study, polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polyurethane (PU)-based shape-stabilized copolymer nanocomposites were synthesized and utilized for developing low-cost and flexible temperature sensors. PU was utilized as a flexible structural material for loading a thermosensitive phase change PEG polymer by means of physical mixing and chemical crosslinking. Furthermore, the introduction of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) as a conductive filler in the PEG-PU copolymer resulted in a nanocomposite with thermoresistive properties. MWCNT loading concentrations from 2 wt.% to 10 wt.% were investigated, to attain the optimum conductivity of the nanocomposite. Additionally, the effect of MWCNT loading concentration on the thermosensitive behavior of the nanocomposite was analyzed in the temperature range 25 °C to 50 °C. The thermosensitive properties of the physically mixed and crosslinked polymeric nanocomposites were compared by spin coating the respective nanocomposites on screen printed interdigitated (IDT) electrodes, to fabricate the temperature sensor. The chemically crosslinked MWCNT-PEG-PU polymeric nanocomposite showed an improved thermosensitive behavior in the range 25 °C to 50 °C, compared to the physically mixed nanocomposite. The detailed structural, morphological, thermal, and phase transition properties of the nanocomposites were investigated using XRD, FTIR, and DSC analysis. XRD and FTIR were used to analyze the crystallinity and PEG-PU bonding of the copolymer nanocomposite, respectively; while the dual phase (solid–liquid) transition of PEG was analyzed using DSC. The proposed nanocomposite-based flexible temperature sensor demonstrated excellent sensitivity, reliability and shows promise for a wide range of bio-robotic and healthcare applications.
Highlights
multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT)-based polymeric nanocomposite sensing materials have been used for various transduction applications including in gas, piezoresistive, mechanical, and biological sensors, among others [2–6]
After assessing the phase change properties and DSC analysis, found that composite in in a 1:2 ratio showed thethe most promising thermosensitive we found that composite a 1:2 ratio showed most promising thermosensiproperties
Both physically mixed and chemically crosslinked MWCNT-PEGof a crosslinked MWCNT-polyethylene glycol (PEG)-PU nanocomposite-based temperature sensor is shown in PU nanocomposites were spin coated on IDT electrodes to test the thermoresistive propFigure 1i–h
Summary
Significant research efforts have been made towards the advancement of smart materials and their properties. The development of smart nanocomposites, obtained by combining nanomaterials and polymers, is rapidly progressing, due to their enhanced sensing capabilities [1]. Owing to their excellent electrical and physical properties, carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been extensively used as a conductive material for synthesis of polymeric nanocomposites [2–5]. Various carbon nanomaterials, including graphene, MWCNT, graphene oxide [11–13], and a variety of polymers such as polyurethane [14] and poly (methyl-methacrylate) [15], have been used to encapsulate or load the phase change materials for preparation of smart materials. The effect of conductive filler loading on thermoresistive properties was observed and the MWCNT-PU composite showed a NTC (negative temperature coefficient) behavior in the temperature range 298–323 K, which agrees with previously reported data. PEG-PU copolymer demonstrated better thermo-resistive behavior in the temperature range 298–323 K
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