Epidermis-Inspired Wearable Piezoresistive Pressure Sensors Using Reduced Graphene Oxide Self-Wrapped Copper Nanowire Networks

Yangzhi Zhu; Martin C Hartel; Ning Yu; Pamela Rosario Garrido; Sanggon Kim; Junmin Lee; Praveen Bandaru; Shenghan Guan; Haisong Lin; Sam Emaminejad; Natan Roberto de Barros; Samad Ahadian; Han-Jun Kim; Wujin Sun; Vadim Jucaud; Mehmet R Dokmeci; Paul S Weiss; Ruoxue Yan; Ali Khademhosseini

doi:10.1002/smtd.202100900

Epidermis-Inspired Wearable Piezoresistive Pressure Sensors Using Reduced Graphene Oxide Self-Wrapped Copper Nanowire Networks

Small Methods. 2022 Jan;6(1):e2100900. doi: 10.1002/smtd.202100900. Epub 2021 Dec 15.

Authors

Yangzhi Zhu¹, Martin C Hartel^{1

2}, Ning Yu³, Pamela Rosario Garrido^{1

4}, Sanggon Kim³, Junmin Lee^{1

5}, Praveen Bandaru¹, Shenghan Guan¹, Haisong Lin^{1

2}, Sam Emaminejad^{1

2}, Natan Roberto de Barros¹, Samad Ahadian¹, Han-Jun Kim¹, Wujin Sun^{1

6}, Vadim Jucaud¹, Mehmet R Dokmeci¹, Paul S Weiss^{2

7}, Ruoxue Yan^{3

8}, Ali Khademhosseini¹

Affiliations

¹ Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation, Los Angeles, CA, 90064, USA.
² Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
³ Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Bourns College of Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA.
⁴ Department of Electric and Electronic Engineering, Technological Institute of Merida, Merida, Yucatan, 97118, Mexico.
⁵ Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea.
⁶ Department of Biological Systems, Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
⁷ Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Materials Science and Engineering and California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
⁸ Materials Science and Engineering Program, Bourns College of Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA.

Abstract

Wearable piezoresistive sensors are being developed as electronic skins (E-skin) for broad applications in human physiological monitoring and soft robotics. Tactile sensors with sufficient sensitivities, durability, and large dynamic ranges are required to replicate this critical component of the somatosensory system. Multiple micro/nanostructures, materials, and sensing modalities have been reported to address this need. However, a trade-off arises between device performance and device complexity. Inspired by the microstructure of the spinosum at the dermo epidermal junction in skin, a low-cost, scalable, and high-performance piezoresistive sensor is developed with high sensitivity (0.144 kPa^-1 ), extensive sensing range ( 0.1-15 kPa), fast response time (less than 150 ms), and excellent long-term stability (over 1000 cycles). Furthermore, the piezoresistive functionality of the device is realized via a flexible transparent electrode (FTE) using a highly stable reduced graphene oxide self-wrapped copper nanowire network. The developed nanowire-based spinosum microstructured FTEs are amenable to wearable electronics applications.

Keywords: bioinspired microstructures; core-shell nanowires; electronic skin; flexible transparent electrodes; piezoresistive sensors; wearable electronics.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Copper
Graphite*
Humans
Nanowires*
Wearable Electronic Devices*

Substances

graphene oxide
Graphite
Copper

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding