Superstretchable and Linear-Response Strain Sensors With Carbon Nanotubes Ultrasonically Assembled on Silicone Rubber Film

Abstract

For stretchable strain sensors, which have shown great application potential in human motion monitoring, it is still an enormous challenge to achieve a highly linear response range. Herein, we put forward a novel stretchable carbon nanotube (CNT)/Ecoflex strain sensor with excellent electrical and mechanical properties, which was fabricated with ultrasonically assembled CNTs on Ecoflex film (UACEF) by ultrasonication and evaporation to form a conducting network of multiwalled CNTs. The fabricated UACEF strain sensors exhibit ultra-wide linear response range of 500% and fast response time of 56ms. The strain sensors demonstrated excellent durability and reproducibility during multi-cycle testing (2000 stretching and releasing cycles). In addition, the UACEF strain sensors can achieve real-time monitoring of human motion. Furthermore, two single sensors can be assembled to detect complex strains in a cross-shaped configuration. It is credible that the UACEF strain sensor has huge potential for monitoring human motion and health-care fields.