Highly Flexible, High-Performance, and Stretchable Piezoelectric Sensor Based on a Hierarchical Droplet-Shaped Ceramics with Enhanced Damage Tolerance.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 38281059.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1002/adma.202311624 and PMC identifier 11476212.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Stretchable self-powered sensors are of significant interest in next-generation wearable electronics. However, current strategies for creating stretchable piezoelectric sensors based on piezoelectric polymers or 0-3 piezoelectric composites face several challenges such as low piezoelectric activity, low sensitivity, and poor durability. In this paper, a biomimetic soft-rigid hybrid strategy is used to construct a new form of highly flexible, high-performance, and stretchable piezoelectric sensor. Inspired by the hinged bivalve Cristaria plicata, hierarchical droplet-shaped ceramics are manufactured and used as rigid components, where computational models indicate that the unique arched curved surface and rounded corners of this bionic structure can alleviate stress concentrations. To ensure electrical connectivity of the piezoelectric phase during stretching, a patterned liquid metal acts as a soft circuit and a silicone polymer with optimized wettability and stretchability serves as a soft component that forms a strong mechanical interlock with the hierarchical ceramics. The novel sensor design exhibits excellent sensitivity and durability, where the open circuit voltage remains stable after 5000 stretching cycles at 60% strain and 5000 twisting cycles at 180°. To demonstrate its potential in heathcare applications, this new stretchable sensor is successfully used for wireless gesture recognition and assessing the progression of knee osteoarthritis.