Bioinspired Iontronic Pressure Sensor with Ultrawide Range and High Sensitivity

Abstract

The trade-off between sensitivity and detection range has limited the performance of flexible pressure sensors, hindering their deployment in advanced human-machine interfaces and precision healthcare monitoring. Inspired by the ion-mediated electrogenesis of electric eels, we report a bioinspired iontronic pressure sensor (IPS) that overcomes this bottleneck by coupling MXene-functionalized electrodes with a hierarchical silica aerogel/ionic liquid (ILA) dielectric. This architecture enables pressure-driven, reversible ion migration within the porous dielectric and enhances electrical double-layer (EDL) formation at the electrode-dielectric interface. As a result, the IPS delivers an ultrawide detection range of up to 5.8 MPa, a high sensitivity of 26,845 kPa^-1 within 400 kPa, rapid response/recovery times of 5 ms/6 ms, outstanding durability over 10,000 loading cycles, and intrinsic flame retardancy. These distinctive capabilities allow monitoring of subtle physiological signals and complex human motions even under harsh conditions. This bioinspired approach enables the development of advanced flexible pressure sensors, thereby paving the way for advancements in adaptive robotics, intelligent wearables, and advanced healthcare diagnostics.