Liquid
sensors for detecting water and body fluids are crucial
in daily water usage and health monitoring, but it is challenging
to combine sensing performance with high tensile deformation and multifunctional
applications. Here, a substrate-free, self-stretchable bacterial cellulose
(BC)/carbon nanotube (CNT) helical fiber liquid sensor was prepared
by the solution spinning and coiling process using BC as the water-sensitive
matrix and CNTs as the active sensing materials. The BC/CNT (BCT)
fiber sensor has a high stretch ratio of more than 1000% and a rapid
response for a current change rate of 104% within 1 s,
which is almost unaffected under washing and various stretching or
knotting deformations. By combination of the BCT fiber, we can design
smart diapers or water level detectors, which rapidly monitor the
status of smart diapers or water level, and the monitoring result
can be transferred on time through an alarm device or smartphone.
In short, the scalable and continuous preparation of the self-stretchable
BCT helical fiber will provide a capacious platform for the development
of a wearable sensor applied in daily life (such as smart diapers,
water level detection, etc.)