Polyurethane foam coated with a multi-walled carbon nanotube/polyaniline nanocomposite for a skin-like stretchable array of multi-functional sensors

Abstract

Body-attachable sensors can be applied to electronic skin (e-skin) as well as safety forewarning and health monitoring systems. However, achieving facile fabrication of high-performance, cost-effective sensors with mechanical stability in response to deformation due to body movement is challenging. Herein we report the material design, fabrication and characteristics of a skin-like stretchable array of multi-functional (MF) sensors based on a single sensing material of polyurethane foam coated with multi-walled carbon nanotube/polyaniline nanocomposite, which enables simultaneous detection of body temperature, wrist pulse and ammonia gas. These sensors exhibit high sensitivity, fast response and excellent durability. Furthermore, the fabricated sensor array shows stable performance under biaxial stretching up to 50% and attachment to skin owing to the use of direct-printed Galinstan liquid metal interconnections. This work proposes a facile method for fabrication of high-performance, stretchable MF sensors via appropriate selection of sensor design and functional materials that are applicable to e-skin and health monitoring systems.