Flexibility and sensitivity of graphene nanoplatelets-polydimethylsiloxane strain sensor

Abstract

Flexible strain sensors have a various type of wearable electronic applications in human motion detection, environmental monitoring and health monitoring sensors, etc. The flexible strain sensor with linearity, high sensitivity and fast response durability are stilled a great challenge. This research aims to propose a simple method to produce flexible graphene-based strain sensors and compared with sensitivity and time response depend on different graphene nanoplate (GNP) filler loadings. These GNP-based sensors were prepared by drop casting on a glass slide with various ratio and packaging with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The strain sensing performance of conductive GNP-PDMS sensors were investigated by electromechanical behaviour and real time response monitoring of the resistance under stretching and releasing testing. The effect of the thickness and structure of GNP-PMDS sensor were characterized by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM). The strain sensing test shows that different GNP-PDMS sensors exhibit a piezoresistivity, good sensitivity at 10% strain and good linearity. Fast response of GNP-PDMS sensor were obtained by increasing the concentration of GNP filler loading. The flexible GNP-PDMS resistive type strain sensor can be used in sensing strain and various type of human motion applications.