Advances in Wearable Strain Sensors Based on Electrospun Fibers

Abstract

Wearable strain sensors with the ability of detecting physiological activities play an important role in personalized healthcare. Electrospun fibers have become a popular building block for wearable strain sensors due to their excellent mechanical properties, breathability, and light weight. In this review, the structure and preparation process of electrospun fibers and the conductive layer are systematically introduced. The impact of materials and structures of electrospun fibers on the wearable strain sensors with a following discussion of sensing performance optimization strategies is outlined. Furthermore, the applications of electrospun fiber‐based wearable strain sensors in biomonitoring, motion detection, and human‐machine interaction are presented. Finally, the challenges and promising future directions for the community of wearable strain sensors based on electrospun fibers are pointed out.

Self-Healing and Freeze-Resistant Boat-Fruited Sterculia Seed Polysaccharide/Silk Fiber Hydrogel for Wearable Strain Sensors

“…As the digital healthcare landscape continues to evolve, – wearable strain sensors – have garnered significant interest in the fields of motion monitoring, , health monitoring, , and human–computer interactions. , Their flexibility, , softness, , and adhesion , have made hydrogels a key class of materials for next-generation flexible electronic sensing devices. – For instance, wearable sensors leveraging hydrogel with conductivity based on an amylopectin/poly­(acrylamide–acrylic acid) polymer have been effectively utilized to monitor human movements . Similarly, flexible hydrogels developed from silver nanowires, carbon black nanoparticles, poly­(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly­(acrylamide) exhibit high strain/pressure sensitivities .…”

Polyimide/Carboxylated Multi-walled Carbon Nanotube Hybrid Aerogel Fibers for Fabric Sensors: Implications for Information Acquisition and Joule Heating in Harsh Environments

“…Compared with other sensors, polymeric sensors in a fiber shape or polymeric fiber sensors exhibit advantages of ultra-flexibility, good breathability, and reliable sensitivity . Thus, researchers have devoted plenty of efforts to the mechanism, fabrication, and performance of polymeric fiber sensors in recent years . Typically, Li and his co-workers fabricated intrinsic conductive ionic fibers with excellent deformation-conductivity sensitivity using an organosoluble polyimide salt through wet spinning.…”

“…10 Thus, researchers have devoted plenty of efforts to the mechanism, fabrication, and performance of polymeric fiber sensors in recent years. 11 Typically, Li and his co-workers 12 fabricated intrinsic conductive ionic fibers with excellent deformation-conductivity sensitivity using an organosoluble polyimide salt through wet spinning. Furthermore, except for intrinsically conductive fibers, the hybridized fiber with a conductive nanofiller is also suitable for flexible strain sensors.…”

Thermospun Conductive Composites with a Wide Strain Range, Excellent Fatigue Resistance, and High Linearity for Fibrous Strain Sensors

“…Various wearable devices for detecting human health are developing rapidly, such as electronic bands, electronic sphygmomanometers, and portable electrocardiogram monitors (ECG). − The popularization of these devices enables real-time monitoring of human motion and makes it possible to customize human motion recommendations. − However, most wearable devices are based on semiconductors and metal materials, which makes the devices bulky, rigid, and difficult to achieve wearability, multifunctional integration, and real-time monitoring. − With the rise and maturity of stretchable electronic materials, flexible wearable devices that can cover curved human skin have become possible. − Wearable electronic devices with high comfort need to have high flexibility, strong toughness, lightweight, high affinity with human skin, and excellent fatigue resistance. − Fibrous sensing materials have great air permeability, and blending with different functional fibers are capable of achieving multifunctional and damage-free combination, which makes fibrous sensing materials a research focus for wearable electronic materials. − Therefore, it is of great significance to develop fibrous strain-sensing materials while significant challenges persist.…”