Flexible piezoresistive strain sensor based on optimized elastomer-electronic polymer blend

• Published in: Measurement : journal of the International Measurement Confederation 2021-01, Vol.168, p.108406, Article 108406
• Main Authors: Panwar, Varij, Anoop, Gopinathan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bending; Biocompatibility; Blending; Chlorotrifluoroethylene; Ductility; Elastomers; P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE); PEDOT:PSS; Piezoresistive strain sensor; Polymer blends; Polymer sensor; Polymers; Polystyrene resins; Sensors; Strain; Studies; Vinylidene; Vinylidene fluoride
• ISSN: 0263-2241; 1873-412X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.measurement.2020.108406

Highly ductile P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE)/PEDOT:PSS blend shows high dielectric constant and high gauge factor bending cycle. [Display omitted] •Elastomer-Electronic Polymer blend shows high gauge factor with high dielectric constant.•Elastomer-Electronic Polymer blend shows high ductility.•Elastomer-Electronic Polymer blend shows stable sensing signals with bending cycles of 6500. Biocompatible polymer-based sensors have unique advantages over semiconductor-carbon-based, and metal-based piezoresistive sensors because of the flexible nature, high gauge factor, and high bendability of the polymers. In this study, various compositions of biocompatible Poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene- chlorotrifluoroethylene) P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE) (TER)/poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDOT):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) elastomer-electronic polymer blends were developed using cost-effective blending method for piezoresistive strain sensor. The TER /PEDOT:PSS polymer blend with an optimized blending ratio of 40/60 produced a gauge factor of around 680 with a high dielectric constant and a high mechanical strain of 221%. The TER/PEDOT:PSS polymer blend shows stable and repeatable response sensing signals up to 6500 bending cycles at a bending strain of 0.009 and checked for the duration of sixty days. The SEM analysis shows the penetration of the PEDOT:PSS particles between the backbone of TER polymer in the optimized TER/PEDOT:PSS polymer blend, which enhances the gauge factor of the TER/PEDOT:PSS blend sensors. Owing to high ductility and high sensitivity, our proposed elastomer-electronic polymer blend with ~0.18 mm thickness will find applications in wearable and electronic skin technology.