Graphene foam reinforced TPU nanocomposites for high-performance pressure sensing and Joule heating

• Published in: Materials letters Vol. 370; p. 136792
• Main Authors: Lei, Wang, Xu, Zhang, Yijun, Chen, Ruiliang, Niu, Cailing, Yang, Ruyuan, Cao, Rongkun, Jian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-09-2024
• Subjects: Chemical vapour deposition; Composite materials; Graphene foam; Joule heating; Pressure sensor; Chemical vapour deposition; Composite materials; Pressure sensor; Graphene foam; Joule heating
• ISSN: 0167-577X; 1873-4979
• DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2024.136792

•95GF/TPU show porous structure and outstanding conductivity of 36 S/cm.•Pressure sensor has ultra-high sensitivity of 275.8 kPa−1 and good repeatability.•As Joule heaters, the nanocomposites reaches to 211 °C at applied voltage of 3 V.•Applied to heat water and detect various body signals.
The rapid growth of healthcare industry requires wearable devices of high performance. In this work, 95 % laterally compressed graphene foams (95GFs) were fabricated and reinforced with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) to develop 95GF/TPU composites for Joule heating and piezoresistive sensing. The proposed pressure sensor exhibits high sensitivity of 275.8 kPa−1 (below 0.3 kPa), fast response time and good repeatability. As thermotherapy heaters, the nanocomposites can reach to 211 °C under 3 V applied voltage, which are among the best of electrothermal materials. This investigation reveals that highly compact and conductive graphene skeletons in horizontal direction play critical role in excellent sensing and heating performances. Demonstrations of sensing for vocalization, facile muscle movement and Joule heating suggesting great potentials for multifunctional wearable devices.