Skin-inspired interface modification strategy toward a structure-function integrated hybrid smart fabric system with self-powered sensing property for versatile applications

Fabric-based composites with superior mechanical properties and excellent perceptive function are highly desirable. However, it remains a huge challenge to attain structure-function integration, especially for hybrid fabric composites. Herein, a skin-inspired interface modification strategy is proposed toward this target by constructing a hybrid smart fabric system consisting of two types of smart fabrics: carbon nanotube (CNT)/MXene-modified aramid fabrics and zinc oxide nanorod (ZnO NR)-modified carbon fabrics. Based on that, flexible piezoelectric pressure sensors with skin-like hierarchical perception interfaces are fabricated, which demonstrate superb sensitivity of 2.39 V·kPa⁻¹ and are capable of various wearable monitoring tasks. Besides, the interface-modified hybrid fabric reinforced plastics can also be fabricated, which are proven to possess 13.6% higher tensile strength, 10.1% elastic modulus. More impressively, their average energy absorption can be improved by 111.9%, accompanied with inherent damage alert capability. This offers a paradigm to fabricate structure-function integrated hybrid smart fabric composites for the smart clothing and intelligent aerial vehicles.