posted on 2019-05-01, 00:00authored byFuxing Yin, Jinzheng Yang, Puguang Ji, Huifen Peng, Yanting Tang, Wenjing Yuan
Highly sensitive
mechanical sensing is vital for the emerging field of skin mimicry
and wearable healthcare systems. To date, it remains a big challenge
to fabricate mechanosensors with both high sensitivity and a wide
sensing range. In nature, slit sensilla are crack-shaped sensory organs
of arachnids, which are highly sensitive to tiny external mechanical
stimuli. Here, inspired by the geometry of slit sensilla, a concept
is developed that pretextures reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocoating
into multiscale topographies with agminated crumples and interlaced
cracks (crumpled & cracked RGO) through an efficient and scalable
mechanically driven process. Both the sensitivity and the workable
range can be facilely tuned by adjusting the crack density. The resulting
mechanosensor exhibits a comprehensive superior performance including
high sensitivity (a gauge factor of 205 to 3256), a wide and tunable
sensing range (from 0–40 to 0–180%), long-term stability
(over 5000 cycles), and multiple sensing functions. Based on its excellent
performances, the mechanosensor can be used as a wearable electronic
to in situ monitor subtle physiological signals and vigorous body
actions. The rationally designed crumpled & cracked RGO provides
a promising platform for artificial electronic skin and portable healthcare
systems.