Interfacial Engineering-Tailored Multiform Paper-Based Sensor with High Durability and a Low Detection Limit.

Abstract

Paper-based conductive elastomers have emerged as promising candidates for flexible and wearable electronics due to their outstanding portability, low cost, and environmental friendliness. While the synergistic interaction between rigid and flexible materials enhances sensing performance, weak interfacial bonding between dissimilar materials remains a critical challenge, threatening long-term reliability. This paper proposes a multiscale interface engineering strategy for designing rigid-flexible synergistic conductive elastomers. This approach substantially increases the interfacial hydrogen bond density and induces electrostatic locking effects, increasing the interfacial bonding energy by nearly an order of magnitude. The sensor exhibits exceptional durability (maintains electrical stability even after more than 120 000 strain cycles). The sensitivity correlation coefficient remains around 0.999 before and after cycling, achieving an ultralow detection limit of 4 μm. Furthermore, the sensor can precisely detect various subtle mechanical signals and shows potential applications in monitoring breathing patterns and object sorting systems.