TY - JOUR
T1 - A high-sensitivity thin-film MWNT@PDA-AgNP nanocomposite sensor for acquiring microscopic deformations
AU - Weng, Zengsheng
AU - Zou, Fangxin
AU - Li, Dan
AU - Yao, Yingfang
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University under the Large Equipment Fund (grant no.: BC86 ) and by the Science, Technology and Innovation Commission of Shenzhen Municipality under the Central-Guided Local Technology Development Fund (grant no.: 2021SZVUP143 ).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2022/10/20
Y1 - 2022/10/20
N2 - Carbon nanomaterial/polymer-based flexible strain sensors form the foundations of many cutting-edge applications, e.g., personalized health monitoring, human-machine interaction, etc. However, achieving a high sensitivity to slight deformations remains a challenging task for the existing technologies. Herein, we immobilize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) onto the surfaces of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) by a polydopamine (PDA)-assisted process, in order to fabricate a new nanocomposite sensor for capturing microscopic static deformations (strain: <1%) and microscopic high-frequency vibrations (strain: <0.001%, frequency: up to 100 s kHz). The material characterizations performed show that AgNPs are compounded, in their elemental state, with the PDA nanolayers on the surfaces of MWNTs, and help to lower the potential barriers between nanofillers. As such, the tunneling of electrons across adjacent nanofillers, which underpins the sensing of slight deformations, is promoted. The proposed nanocomposite sensor demonstrates a significantly higher sensitivity to both static (gauge factor: ∼38) and dynamic deformations, than control specimens that are fabricated from pure MWNTs or PDA-coated MWNTs. Moreover, the sensitivity of the new sensor to microscopic high-frequency vibrations is positively related to the mass of the AgNPs added. This study presents a promising surface modification approach for optimizing the sensitivities of carbon nanomaterial/polymer-based strain sensors to slight deformations.
AB - Carbon nanomaterial/polymer-based flexible strain sensors form the foundations of many cutting-edge applications, e.g., personalized health monitoring, human-machine interaction, etc. However, achieving a high sensitivity to slight deformations remains a challenging task for the existing technologies. Herein, we immobilize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) onto the surfaces of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) by a polydopamine (PDA)-assisted process, in order to fabricate a new nanocomposite sensor for capturing microscopic static deformations (strain: <1%) and microscopic high-frequency vibrations (strain: <0.001%, frequency: up to 100 s kHz). The material characterizations performed show that AgNPs are compounded, in their elemental state, with the PDA nanolayers on the surfaces of MWNTs, and help to lower the potential barriers between nanofillers. As such, the tunneling of electrons across adjacent nanofillers, which underpins the sensing of slight deformations, is promoted. The proposed nanocomposite sensor demonstrates a significantly higher sensitivity to both static (gauge factor: ∼38) and dynamic deformations, than control specimens that are fabricated from pure MWNTs or PDA-coated MWNTs. Moreover, the sensitivity of the new sensor to microscopic high-frequency vibrations is positively related to the mass of the AgNPs added. This study presents a promising surface modification approach for optimizing the sensitivities of carbon nanomaterial/polymer-based strain sensors to slight deformations.
KW - Carbon nanotubes
KW - Nano composites
KW - Sandwich material
KW - Sensing
KW - Ultrasonic testing
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85136258020&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.compscitech.2022.109689
DO - 10.1016/j.compscitech.2022.109689
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85136258020
SN - 0266-3538
VL - 229
JO - Composites Science and Technology
JF - Composites Science and Technology
M1 - 109689
ER -
