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Wearable CNT/Ti3C2Tx MXene/PDMS composite strain sensor with enhanced stability for real-time human healthcare monitoring

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Abstract

Strain sensors with good stability are vital to the development of wearable healthcare monitoring systems. However, the design of strain sensor with both duration stability and environmental stability is still a challenge. In this work, we propose an ultra-stable and washable strain sensor by embedding a coupled composite film of carbon nanotube (CNT) and Ti3C2Tx MXene into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix. The composite strain sensor with embedded microstructure and uneven surface makes it conformal to skin, while the CNT/MXene sensing layer exhibits a resistance sensitive to strain. This sensor shows reliable responses at different frequencies and with long-term cycling durability (over 1,000 cycles). Meanwhile, the CNT/MXene/PDMS composite strain sensor provides the advantages of superior anti-interference to temperature change and water washing. The results demonstrate less than 10% resistance changes as the temperature rises from −20 to 80 °C or after sonication in water for 120 min, respectively. The composite sensor is applied to monitor human joint motions, such as bending of finger, wrist and elbow. Moreover, the simultaneous monitoring of the electrocardiogram (ECG) signal and joint movement while riding a sports bicycle is demonstrated, enabling the great potential of the as-fabricated sensor in real-time human healthcare monitoring.

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Acknowledgements

This research was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 61804185), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2017YFA0206600), the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province (No. 2019JJ50804), the Science and Technology Innovation Program of Hunan Province (No. 2020RC4004), the Special Funding for the Construction of Innovative Provinces in Hunan Province (No. 2020GK2024), and Guangxi Key Laboratory of Wireless Wideband Communication and Signal Processing (No. GXKL06200208).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hunan Key Laboratory for Super Microstructure and Ultrafast Process, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, China

    Xiaowen Xu, Yucheng Chen, Pei He, Song Wang, Kai Ling, Longhui Liu & Junliang Yang

  2. Hunan Engineering Research Center of Biomedical Metal and Ceramic Implants, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87# Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410007, China

    Pengfei Lei

  3. College of Electronic Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, 410072, China

    Xianjun Huang

  4. Department of Materials, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK

    Hu Zhao & Jianyun Cao

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  1. Xiaowen Xu
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  2. Yucheng Chen
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  3. Pei He
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  4. Song Wang
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  5. Kai Ling
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  9. Hu Zhao
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  10. Jianyun Cao
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  11. Junliang Yang
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Correspondence to Pei He or Junliang Yang.

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Wearable CNT/Ti3C2Tx MXene/PDMS composite strain sensor with enhanced stability for real-time human healthcare monitoring

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Xu, X., Chen, Y., He, P. et al. Wearable CNT/Ti3C2Tx MXene/PDMS composite strain sensor with enhanced stability for real-time human healthcare monitoring. Nano Res. 14, 2875–2883 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-021-3536-3

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