Lightweight, robust and conductive MXene/SiO2 nanofiber aerogels for excellent sensing and thermal management properties

• Published in: Composites. Part B, Engineering Engineering, 2024-08, Vol.283, p.111669, Article 111669
• Main Authors: Chen, Yixiang, Zuo, Tongcheng, Jiang, Yu, Gui, Jiajia, Feng, Wanqi, Yu, Dan, Wang, Wei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: A. Ceramic fibre; B. Electrical properties; E assembly; MXene nanosheets
• ISSN: 1359-8368
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesb.2024.111669

Flexible pressure sensors embody outstanding mechanical and sensing performance, particularly in the fields of personal health monitoring and artificial intelligence, while catering to multifunctional applications resilient against harsh weather conditions. Among these, Ti3C2Tx MXene-based aerogel materials with high surface area and excellent conductivity have attracted a lot of attention. However, there are big challenges in improving the mechanical properties at low densities and designing multi-level pore structures. Herein, the prepared silane monomers (MP) are firstly synthesized by 3-(Trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate (MPTES) and polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA), then polydopamine-modified silicon dioxide (PDA-SiO2) nanofibers employed with MXene nanosheets form covalent cross-linking nanofiber aerogels. The multi-level stable structure improves both mechanical strength and elasticity. The assembled MXene/MP/PDA-SiO2 pressure sensors exhibit a high sensitivity of −0.83 kPa−1, a rapid response time of 48 ms, a minimum 1 % strain detection limit, and reliable stability over 10,000 cycles. Furthermore, these sensors can be used for human motion detection and health diagnostics, and show good personal thermal management performance. This work holds a promising candidate for the next generation of multifunctional flexible electronic devices.