Self-powered flexible pressure sensors based on nanopatterned polymer films
ISSN: 0260-2288
Article publication date: 16 October 2020
Issue publication date: 19 November 2020
Abstract
Purpose
The pressure sensors can convert external pressure or mechanical deformation into electrical power and signal, which cannot only detect pressure or strain changes but also harvest energy as a self-powered sensor. This study aims to develop a self-powered flexible pressure sensor based on regular nanopatterned polymer films.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, the self-powered flexible pressure sensor is mainly composed of two nanopatterned polymer films and one conductive electrode layer between them, which is a sandwich structure. The regular nanostructures increase the film roughness and contact area to enhance the friction effect. To enhance the performance of the pressure sensor, different nanostructures on soft polymer sensitive layers are fabricated using UV nanoimprint lithography to generate more triboelectric charges.
Findings
Finally, the self-powered flexible pressure sensor is prepared, which consists of sub-200 nm resolution regular nanostructures on the surface of the elastic layer and an indium tin oxide electrode thin film. By converting the friction mechanical energy into electrical power, a maximum power of 423.8 mW/m2 and the sensitivity of 0.8 V/kPa at a frequency of 5 Hz are obtained, which proves the excellent sensing performance of the sensor.
Originality/value
The acquired electrical power and pressure signal by the sensor would be processed in the signal process circuit, which is capable of immediately and sustainably driving the highly integrated self-powered sensor system. Results of the experiments show that this new pressure sensor is a potential method for personal pressure monitoring, featured as being wearable, cost-effective, non-invasive and user-friendly.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (Grant number 51703227, C0025053, 61605211, 61504147, and 61775213), Sichuan Science and Technology Program (Grant number 2019YJ0014), the Instrument Development of Chinese Academy of Sciences, The National R&D Program of China (Grant number 2017YFC0804900), Youth Innovation Promotion Association of Chinese Academy of Sciences. The authors thank their colleagues for their discussions and suggestions for this research.
Citation
Zhang, M., Xia, L., Dang, S., Shi, L., Cao, A. and Du, C. (2020), "Self-powered flexible pressure sensors based on nanopatterned polymer films", Sensor Review, Vol. 40 No. 6, pp. 629-635. https://doi.org/10.1108/SR-01-2020-0010
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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