Microbubble-based fabrication of resilient porous ionogels for high-sensitivity pressure sensors

Abstract High-sensitivity flexible pressure sensors have obtained extensive attention because of their expanding applications in e-skins and wearable medical devices for various disease diagnoses. As the representative candidate for these sensors, the iontronic microstructure has been widely proven...

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Main Authors: Ziwei Yang, Jingxiao Wang, Xiao Wan, Hongcheng Xu, Chuanyu Zhang, Xiaoke Lu, Weixuan Jing, Chuanfei Guo, Xueyong Wei
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2024-11-01
Series:Microsystems & Nanoengineering
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41378-024-00780-8
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author Ziwei Yang
Jingxiao Wang
Xiao Wan
Hongcheng Xu
Chuanyu Zhang
Xiaoke Lu
Weixuan Jing
Chuanfei Guo
Xueyong Wei
author_facet Ziwei Yang
Jingxiao Wang
Xiao Wan
Hongcheng Xu
Chuanyu Zhang
Xiaoke Lu
Weixuan Jing
Chuanfei Guo
Xueyong Wei
author_sort Ziwei Yang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract High-sensitivity flexible pressure sensors have obtained extensive attention because of their expanding applications in e-skins and wearable medical devices for various disease diagnoses. As the representative candidate for these sensors, the iontronic microstructure has been widely proven to enhance sensation behaviors such as the sensitivity and limits of detection. However, the fast and tunable fabrication of ionic-porous sensing elastomers remains challenging because of the current template-dissolved or 3D printing methods. Here, we report a microbubble-based fabrication process that enables microporous and resilient-compliance ionogels for high-sensitivity pressure sensors. Periodic motion sliding results in a relative velocity between the imported airflow and the fluid solution, converts the airflow to microbubbles in the high-viscosity ionic fluid and promptly solidifies the fluid into a porous ionogel under ultraviolet exposure. The ultrahigh porosity of up to 95% endows the porous ionogel with superelasticity and a Young’s modulus near 7 kPa. Due to the superelastic compliance and iontronic electrical double-layer effect, the porous ionogel packaged into two electrodes endows the pressure sensor with high sensitivity (684.4 kPa−1) over an ultrabroad range (~1 MPa) and a high-pressure resolution of 0.46%. Furthermore, the pressure sensor successfully captures high-yield broad-range signals from the fingertip low-pressure pulses (<1 kPa) to foot high-pressure activities (>500 kPa), even the grasping force of soft machine hands via an array-scanning circuit during object recognition. This microbubble-based fabrication process for porous ionogels paves the way for designing wearable sensors or permeable electronics to monitor and diagnose various diseases.
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spelling doaj-art-d1587bf6da924354b83a656ca71376e52025-08-20T02:49:09ZengNature Publishing GroupMicrosystems & Nanoengineering2055-74342024-11-0110111010.1038/s41378-024-00780-8Microbubble-based fabrication of resilient porous ionogels for high-sensitivity pressure sensorsZiwei Yang0Jingxiao Wang1Xiao Wan2Hongcheng Xu3Chuanyu Zhang4Xiaoke Lu5Weixuan Jing6Chuanfei Guo7Xueyong Wei8State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversityState Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversityState Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversitySchool of Instrument Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversitySchool of Instrument Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversityFrontier Institute of Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversityState Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversityDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and TechnologyState Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversityAbstract High-sensitivity flexible pressure sensors have obtained extensive attention because of their expanding applications in e-skins and wearable medical devices for various disease diagnoses. As the representative candidate for these sensors, the iontronic microstructure has been widely proven to enhance sensation behaviors such as the sensitivity and limits of detection. However, the fast and tunable fabrication of ionic-porous sensing elastomers remains challenging because of the current template-dissolved or 3D printing methods. Here, we report a microbubble-based fabrication process that enables microporous and resilient-compliance ionogels for high-sensitivity pressure sensors. Periodic motion sliding results in a relative velocity between the imported airflow and the fluid solution, converts the airflow to microbubbles in the high-viscosity ionic fluid and promptly solidifies the fluid into a porous ionogel under ultraviolet exposure. The ultrahigh porosity of up to 95% endows the porous ionogel with superelasticity and a Young’s modulus near 7 kPa. Due to the superelastic compliance and iontronic electrical double-layer effect, the porous ionogel packaged into two electrodes endows the pressure sensor with high sensitivity (684.4 kPa−1) over an ultrabroad range (~1 MPa) and a high-pressure resolution of 0.46%. Furthermore, the pressure sensor successfully captures high-yield broad-range signals from the fingertip low-pressure pulses (<1 kPa) to foot high-pressure activities (>500 kPa), even the grasping force of soft machine hands via an array-scanning circuit during object recognition. This microbubble-based fabrication process for porous ionogels paves the way for designing wearable sensors or permeable electronics to monitor and diagnose various diseases.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41378-024-00780-8
spellingShingle Ziwei Yang
Jingxiao Wang
Xiao Wan
Hongcheng Xu
Chuanyu Zhang
Xiaoke Lu
Weixuan Jing
Chuanfei Guo
Xueyong Wei
Microbubble-based fabrication of resilient porous ionogels for high-sensitivity pressure sensors
Microsystems & Nanoengineering
title Microbubble-based fabrication of resilient porous ionogels for high-sensitivity pressure sensors
title_full Microbubble-based fabrication of resilient porous ionogels for high-sensitivity pressure sensors
title_fullStr Microbubble-based fabrication of resilient porous ionogels for high-sensitivity pressure sensors
title_full_unstemmed Microbubble-based fabrication of resilient porous ionogels for high-sensitivity pressure sensors
title_short Microbubble-based fabrication of resilient porous ionogels for high-sensitivity pressure sensors
title_sort microbubble based fabrication of resilient porous ionogels for high sensitivity pressure sensors
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41378-024-00780-8
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