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Nano Research 2023, 16(7): 10493-10499 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-023-5727-6
Research Article | Open Access | Issue | Published: 20 May 2023

Advancing pressure sensors performance through a flexible MXene embedded interlocking structure in a microlens array

Show Author's Information Tong Li1,  Zhenzong Xu1,  Ben Bin Xu2( ),  Zhanhu Guo2,  Yunhong Jiang3,  Xuehua Zhang4,  Maryam Bayati2,  Terence Xiaoteng Liu2( ),  Yan-Hua Liu1( )
School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, Key Lab of Advanced Optical Manufacturing Technologies of Jiangsu Province & Key Lab of Modern Optical Technologies of Education Ministry of China, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK
Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment, Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University at Newcastle, NE1 8ST, UK
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
Keywords:
MXene, flexible electronics, three-dimensional (3D) lithography, microlens array, pizoresistive, pressure sensors
Topics:
Nanocomposites
An erratum to this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-023-6183-z
Cite this article:
Li T, Xu Z, Xu BB, et al. Advancing pressure sensors performance through a flexible MXene embedded interlocking structure in a microlens array. Nano Research, 2023, 16(7): 10493-10499. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-023-5727-6
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Abstract Full text Electronic supplementary material About this article

Piezoresistive composite elastomers have shown great potentials for wearable and flexible electronic applications due to their high sensitivity, excellent frequency response, and easy signal detection. A composition membrane sensor with an interlocked structure has been developed and demonstrated outstanding pressure sensitivity, fast response time, and low temperature drift features. Compared with a flexible MXene-based flat sensor (Ti3C2), the interlocked sensor exhibits a significantly improved pressure sensitivity of two magnitudes higher (21.04 kPa−1), a fast reaction speed of 31 ms, and an excellent cycle life of 5000 test runs. The viability of sensor in responding to various external stimuli with high deformation capacity has been confirmed by calculating the force distribution of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film model with a microlens structure using the solid mechanics module in COMSOL. Unlike conventional process, we utilized three-dimensional (3D) laser-direct writing lithography equipment to directly transform high-precision 3D data into a micro-nano structure morphology through variable exposure doses, which reduces the hot melting step. Moreover, the flexible pressure device is capable of detecting and distinguishing signals ranging from finger movements to human pulses, even for speech recognition. This simple, convenient, and large-format lithographic method offers new opportunities for developing novel human–computer interaction devices.


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Electronic supplementary material
About this article

Advancing pressure sensors performance through a flexible MXene embedded interlocking structure in a microlens array

Show Author's information Tong Li1, Zhenzong Xu1, Ben Bin Xu2( ), Zhanhu Guo2, Yunhong Jiang3, Xuehua Zhang4, Maryam Bayati2, Terence Xiaoteng Liu2( ), Yan-Hua Liu1( )
School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, Key Lab of Advanced Optical Manufacturing Technologies of Jiangsu Province & Key Lab of Modern Optical Technologies of Education Ministry of China, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK
Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment, Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University at Newcastle, NE1 8ST, UK
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada

Abstract

Piezoresistive composite elastomers have shown great potentials for wearable and flexible electronic applications due to their high sensitivity, excellent frequency response, and easy signal detection. A composition membrane sensor with an interlocked structure has been developed and demonstrated outstanding pressure sensitivity, fast response time, and low temperature drift features. Compared with a flexible MXene-based flat sensor (Ti3C2), the interlocked sensor exhibits a significantly improved pressure sensitivity of two magnitudes higher (21.04 kPa−1), a fast reaction speed of 31 ms, and an excellent cycle life of 5000 test runs. The viability of sensor in responding to various external stimuli with high deformation capacity has been confirmed by calculating the force distribution of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film model with a microlens structure using the solid mechanics module in COMSOL. Unlike conventional process, we utilized three-dimensional (3D) laser-direct writing lithography equipment to directly transform high-precision 3D data into a micro-nano structure morphology through variable exposure doses, which reduces the hot melting step. Moreover, the flexible pressure device is capable of detecting and distinguishing signals ranging from finger movements to human pulses, even for speech recognition. This simple, convenient, and large-format lithographic method offers new opportunities for developing novel human–computer interaction devices.

Keywords: MXene, flexible electronics, three-dimensional (3D) lithography, microlens array, pizoresistive, pressure sensors

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Publication history

Received: 19 March 2023
Revised: 07 April 2023
Accepted: 10 April 2023
Published: 20 May 2023
Issue date: July 2023

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© The Author(s) 2023

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 61974100) and the National Science Foundation of the Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions of China (No. 20KJA480002). This project was also funded by the Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, and by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD). X. H. Z. acknowledges the support from the NSERC-Alberta Innovated Advanced Program. B. B. X. and Y. H. J. are grateful for the support from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC, UK) (Nos. EP/N007921 and EP/X02041X). Y. H. J. also acknowledges the support from the Leverhulme Trust (No. RPG-2022-177).

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