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Journal ArticleDOI

Nanomaterials for new and emerging physical sensing applications: a review of recent developments

15 Sep 2015-Sensor Review (Emerald Group Publishing Limited)-Vol. 35, Iss: 4, pp 321-328
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide details of recently reported work on the use of nanomaterials in sensors for physical variables such as pressure, force, touch and allied variables.
Abstract: Purpose – This paper aims to provide details of recently reported work on the use of nanomaterials in sensors for physical variables. Design/methodology/approach – Following a short introduction, this paper first discusses research involving the use of a range of nanomaterials for strain sensing. It then considers the applications of these materials to sensors for pressure, force, touch and allied variables. It concludes with a brief discussion and 33 references. Findings – This paper shows that nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, metallic nanoparticles and nanowires are being studied extensively in the physical-sensing context. All manner of sensors have been developed, based on a diversity of principles and technologies, and many offer excellent performance and unique capabilities, making them particularly well-suited to emerging applications such as wearable sensing devices. Originality/value – This paper provides a detailed and timely review of the rapidly growing body of research into t...
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe a strategy to impart brittle conductive patterns composed of silver nanoparticles with high stretchability and structure-dependent electrical characteristics, printed on an elastomeric polyurethane acrylate substrate.
Abstract: This paper describes a strategy to impart brittle conductive patterns composed of silver nanoparticles with high stretchability and structure-dependent electrical characteristics. Silver nanoinks are printed on an elastomeric polyurethane acrylate substrate in the form of planar serpentine structures that can effectively mitigate strain concentration. The relative changes in resistance (∆R/R 0) and stretchability are found to strongly depend on the serpentine radius (r) that determines the strain relieving efficiency. Features with small radius of curvature show colossal ∆R/R 0 and hold great promise as ultrasensitive stretchable strain gauges. A record high gauge factor of 107 is achieved at 12% strain with r = 200 µm. Devices with larger radius of curvature exhibit higher stretchability and much more stable conductance, thus can be used as stretchable conductors. The results demonstrate the versatile functionalities that can be acquired from conventional materials by judicious structural designs.

71 citations

Proceedings ArticleDOI
01 Jan 2016
TL;DR: In this paper, a direct-write all polymeric nanofibers as uniaxial strain sensors for flexible and wearable devices is presented. But the performance of this method is limited.
Abstract: Here we demonstrate the direct-write all-polymer nanofibers as uniaxial strain sensors for flexible and wearable devices. Compared to the state-of-art strain sensors, the unique characteristics include: 1) direct-write all polymeric stain sensors for the first time on flexible substrates; 2) local strain sensing with arbitrary contours and designated sensing directions; and 3) 10X higher gauge factor than that of commercial metal strain sensors.

4 citations


Cites background from "Nanomaterials for new and emerging ..."

  • ...In such flexible systems, the information on the mechanical deformation has always been an important research topic [1-4]....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The growing suitability and adaptability of wearable strain sensors have raised the demand for developing instruments of... as discussed by the authors , which have drawn a massive awareness in the various study and industrial fields.
Abstract: Wearable strain sensors have drawn a massive awareness in the various study and industrial fields.The growing suitability and adaptability of such systems have raised the demand for developing instruments of...

1 citations

Dissertation
01 Jan 2015
TL;DR: In this article, the intrinsic piezoresistivity of graphene is exploited to transduce its motion in nanoelectromechanical systems, and a force resolution of 16.3 ± 0.8 aN/Hz(1/2) and a minimum detectable mass of 1.41 ± 1.02 zeptograms (10(-21) g) at ambient temperature are achieved.
Abstract: The low mass and high quality factors that nanomechanical resonators exhibit lead to exceptional sensitivity in the frequency domain. This is especially appealing for the design of ultrasensitive force and mass sensors. The sensitivity of a nanomechanical mass and force sensor depends on its mass and quality factor; a low resonator mass and a higher quality factor reduce both the minimum resolvable mass and force. Graphene, a single atomic layer thick membrane is an ideal candidate for nanoelectromechanical resonators due to its extremely low mass and high stiffness. Here, we show that by employing the intrinsic piezoresistivity of graphene to transduce its motion in nanoelectromechanical systems, we approach a force resolution of 16.3 ± 0.8 aN/Hz(1/2) and a minimum detectable mass of 1.41 ± 0.02 zeptograms (10(-21) g) at ambient temperature. Quality factors of the driven response of the order of 10(3) at pressures ∼10(-6) Torr on several devices are also observed. Moreover, we demonstrate this at ambient temperature on chemical-vapor-deposition-grown graphene to allow for scale-up, thus demonstrating its potential for applications requiring exquisite force and mass resolution such as mass spectroscopy and magnetic resonance force microscopy.

1 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
Sumio Iijima1
01 Nov 1991-Nature
TL;DR: Iijima et al. as mentioned in this paper reported the preparation of a new type of finite carbon structure consisting of needle-like tubes, which were produced using an arc-discharge evaporation method similar to that used for fullerene synthesis.
Abstract: THE synthesis of molecular carbon structures in the form of C60 and other fullerenes1 has stimulated intense interest in the structures accessible to graphitic carbon sheets. Here I report the preparation of a new type of finite carbon structure consisting of needle-like tubes. Produced using an arc-discharge evaporation method similar to that used for fullerene synthesis, the needles grow at the negative end of the electrode used for the arc discharge. Electron microscopy reveals that each needle comprises coaxial tubes of graphitic sheets, ranging in number from 2 up to about 50. On each tube the carbon-atom hexagons are arranged in a helical fashion about the needle axis. The helical pitch varies from needle to needle and from tube to tube within a single needle. It appears that this helical structure may aid the growth process. The formation of these needles, ranging from a few to a few tens of nanometres in diameter, suggests that engineering of carbon structures should be possible on scales considerably greater than those relevant to the fullerenes. On 7 November 1991, Sumio Iijima announced in Nature the preparation of nanometre-size, needle-like tubes of carbon — now familiar as 'nanotubes'. Used in microelectronic circuitry and microscopy, and as a tool to test quantum mechanics and model biological systems, nanotubes seem to have unlimited potential.

39,086 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A class of wearable and stretchable devices fabricated from thin films of aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes capable of measuring strains up to 280% with high durability, fast response and low creep is reported.
Abstract: Thin films of single-wall carbon nanotube have been used to create stretchable devices that can be incorporated into clothes and used to detect human motions.

2,790 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
Morteza Amjadi1, Aekachan Pichitpajongkit1, Sangjun Lee1, Seunghwa Ryu1, Inkyu Park1 
29 Apr 2014-ACS Nano
TL;DR: The applicability of the high performance strain sensors based on the nanocomposite of silver nanowire network and PDMS elastomer in the form of the sandwich structure is demonstrated by fabricating a glove integrated with five strain sensors for the motion detection of fingers and control of an avatar in the virtual environment.
Abstract: The demand for flexible and wearable electronic devices is increasing due to their facile interaction with human body. Flexible, stretchable and wearable sensors can be easily mounted on clothing or directly attached onto the body. Especially, highly stretchable and sensitive strain sensors are needed for the human motion detection. Here, we report highly flexible, stretchable and sensitive strain sensors based on the nanocomposite of silver nanowire (AgNW) network and PDMS elastomer in the form of the sandwich structure (i.e., AgNW thin film embedded between two layers of PDMS). The AgNW network-elastomer nanocomposite based strain sensors show strong piezoresistivity with tunable gauge factors in the ranges of 2 to 14 and a high stretchability up to 70%. We demonstrate the applicability of our high performance strain sensors by fabricating a glove integrated with five strain sensors for the motion detection of fingers and control of an avatar in the virtual environment.

1,837 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
05 Mar 1999-Science
TL;DR: The methods developed here have been applied to a nanobalance for nanoscopic particles and also to a Kelvin probe based on nanotubes, which indicates a crossover from a uniform elastic mode to an elastic mode that involves wavelike distortions in the nanotube.
Abstract: Static and dynamic mechanical deflections were electrically induced in cantilevered, multiwalled carbon nanotubes in a transmission electron microscope. The nanotubes were resonantly excited at the fundamental frequency and higher harmonics as revealed by their deflected contours, which correspond closely to those determined for cantilevered elastic beams. The elastic bending modulus as a function of diameter was found to decrease sharply (from about 1 to 0.1 terapascals) with increasing diameter (from 8 to 40 nanometers), which indicates a crossover from a uniform elastic mode to an elastic mode that involves wavelike distortions in the nanotube. The quality factors of the resonances are on the order of 500. The methods developed here have been applied to a nanobalance for nanoscopic particles and also to a Kelvin probe based on nanotubes.

1,834 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: An efficient, low-cost fabrication strategy to construct a highly sensitive, flexible pressure sensor by sandwiching ultrathin gold nanowire-impregnated tissue paper between two thin polydimethylsiloxane sheets is reported, enabling facile large-area integration and patterning for mapping spatial pressure distribution.
Abstract: Flexible electronics hold great promise for wearable biomedical sensors. Here, the authors report a pressure sensor composed of gold nanowire-impregnated tissue paper, sandwiched between polydimethylsiloxane sheets, and demonstrate that the design is appropriate for large-area flexible electronics.

1,678 citations