Photo-thermoelectric effect induced electricity in stretchable graphene-polymer nanocomposites for ultrasensitive strain sensing

• Published in: Nano research Vol. 12; no. 12; pp. 2982 - 2987
• Main Authors: Zhang, Ding, Song, Yiding, Ping, Lu, Xu, Suwen, Yang, De, Wang, Yuanhao, Yang, Ya
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Beijing Tsinghua University Press 01-12-2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Atomic/Molecular Structure and Spectra; Biomedicine; Biotechnology; Chemistry and Materials Science; Condensed Matter Physics; Dynamic stability; Electricity; Graphene; Light; Light intensity; Luminous intensity; Materials Science; Nanocomposites; Nanotechnology; Polymers; Pork; Recovery time; Research Article; Sensitivity; Sensors; Thermoelectricity; stretchable; implantable; graphene-polymer nanocomposites; photo-thermoelectric effect; strain sensor
• ISSN: 1998-0124; 1998-0000
• DOI: 10.1007/s12274-019-2541-2

Stretchable strain sensors play an increasingly important role in artificial intelligent devices. However, high-performance strain sensors have been slowly developed owing to the harsh requirement of self-powered function, long cycle life and high resolution. Here, we report a self-powered stretchable graphene-ecoflex composite strain sensor based on photo-thermoelectric (PTE) effect induced electricity. The device exhibits a high strain sensitivity of -0.056 ln(
nA
)/% with strains ranged from 0% to 20% under 980 nm light illumination, where the strain sensitivity can be found to increase with increasing light intensity. The strain sensor maintains outstanding dynamic stability under periodic strains ranged from 0 to 100% in 100 cycles. The sensing resolution can be as high as 0.5% with both the response and recovery time of less than 0.6 s. It can precisely monitor human joint motions and stretchable strains by implanting the device in pork.