Strain-Discriminable Pressure/Proximity Sensing of Transparent Stretchable Electronic Skin Based on PEDOT:PSS/SWCNT Electrodes

• Published in: ACS applied materials & interfaces 2020-12, Vol.12 (49), p.55083-55093
• Main Authors: Zhao, Pengfei, Zhang, Ruimin, Tong, Yanhong, Zhao, Xiaoli, Zhang, Tao, Tang, Qingxin, Liu, Yichun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Discriminant Analysis; Electric Conductivity; Electrodes; Electronics; Equipment Design; Humans; Nanotubes, Carbon - chemistry; Organic Electronic Devices; Polystyrenes - chemistry; Pressure; Thiophenes - chemistry; Wearable Electronic Devices
• ISSN: 1944-8244; 1944-8252
• DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c16546

Pressure/proximity sensing as the essential function of electronic skin (e-skin) has become an emerging technological goal for new-generation electronic devices in a wide variety of application fields, for example, smart electronics, human–machine interaction, and prosthetics. However, the current research lacks pressure/proximity detection of the stretched e-skin, which ignores the key elastic characteristic of skin and hinders the development of e-skin. Here, the pressure/proximity detection of the transparent e-skin in the stretching state is demonstrated based on poly­(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly­(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)/single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT). The high transparency of the e-skin realizes the visual imperception for wearable electronic systems. The perfect combination of stretchable SWCNT and highly conductive PEDOT:PSS endows the sensors with high stretchability and high discrimination capability toward strain, providing an effective way to overcome the interference of strain to realize accurate pressure/proximity detection of stretched e-skin at different strains.