Here, a strategy to overcome the stiff and brittle nature
of cellulose-derived
carbon nanofibrils (CCNFs) is proposed through a facile, low-cost,
and scalable approach. Flexible and conformal CCNFs with a low bending
rigidity below 55.4 mN and tunable conductivities of 0.14–45.5
S m–1 are developed by introducing silanol as a
multieffect additive in the electrospun hybrid nanofibrous network
and subsequent carbonization at a relatively high temperature (900
°C) and chemical vapor deposition of polypyrrole (PPy) on the
hybrid carbon nanofibril surface. Silica acts as a lubricant in each
rigid carbon fiber to improve flexibility of the CCNF structure as
well as a template during cellulose carbonization to prevent the melting
of carbon nanofibrils. Meanwhile, the uniform coating of PPy leads
to an improvement in electrical conductivity while conserving the
porous structure and compressibility of the CCNF nets. These conductive
hybrid CCNF films are evaluated as mechanoreceptors and physiological
sensors, which are demonstrated to be applied in intelligent electronics
including electronic skin, human–machine interfaces, and epidermic
electrodes. The design or working principles of the hybrid CCNFs for
achieving optimum applicable effects when applied in different scenarios
are revealed.
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