Self-powered ultrasensitive and highly stretchable temperature–strain sensing composite yarns. Issue 9 (16th July 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wan, Kening; Liu, Yi; Santagiuliana, Giovanni; Barandun, Giandrin; Taroni Junior, Prospero; Güder, Firat; Bastiaansen, Cees WM; Baxendale, Mark; Fenwick, Oliver; Papageorgiou, Dimitrios G.; Krause, Steffi; Zhang, Han; Bilotti, Emiliano
• Is Part Of: Materials horizons. Volume 8:Issue 9(2021)
• Page Start: 2513
• Page End: 2519
• Publication Date: 2021-07-16
• Subjects: Materials -- Research -- Periodicals; 543.0284
• DOI: 10.1039/d1mh00908g
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2051-6347

Abstract

Abstract : A step towards functionally-integrated and autonomous systems, where functions such as sensing and energy storage/harvesting should ideally be carried out by a single material, while retaining its ability to withstand large elastic deformations. Abstract : With the emergence of stretchable/wearable devices, functions, such as sensing, energy storage/harvesting, and electrical conduction, should ideally be carried out by a single material, while retaining its ability to withstand large elastic deformations, to create compact, functionally-integrated and autonomous systems. A new class of trimodal, stretchable yarn-based transducer formed by coating commercially available Lycra® yarns with PEDOT:PSS is presented. The material developed can sense strain (first mode), and temperature (second mode) and can power itself thermoelectrically (third mode), eliminating the need for an external power-supply. The yarns were extensively characterized and obtained an ultrahigh (gauge factor ∼3.6 × 10 5, at 10–20% strain) and tunable (up to about 2 orders of magnitude) strain sensitivity together with a very high strain-at-break point (up to ∼1000%). These PEDOT:PSS-Lycra yarns also exhibited stable thermoelectric behavior (Seebeck coefficient of 15 μV K −1 ), which was exploited both for temperature sensing and self-powering (∼0.5 μW, for a 10-couple module at Δ T ∼ 95 K). The produced material has potential to be interfaced with microcontroller-based systems to create internet-enabled, internet-of-things type devices in a variety of form factors.