Large-Area, Wearable, Self-Powered Pressure–Temperature Sensor Based on 3D Thermoelectric Spacer Fabric

Abstract

The rapid development of wearable devices puts forward higher requirements for mass-produced integrated smart systems that incorporate multiple electric components, such as energy supplying, multisensing, and communicating. To synchronously realize continuously self-powering, multifunctional sensing, distinguish signals from different stimuli, and productively design and fabricate a large-area sensing array, an all-fabric-based self-powered pressure–temperature-sensing electronic skin (e-skin) was prepared in this study by assembling highly flexible and compressible 3D spacer fabric (SF) and the thermoelectric poly­(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)­poly­(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). The all-fabric-based e-skin can efficiently and accurately sense the temperature with a detection resolution of 0.1 K and a response time of 1 s, as well as pressure within a wide range of 200 Pa to 200 kPa and a fast response time of 80 ms. The electricity necessary for driving the sensor can be provided by the temperature difference between the body and environment. Notably, independent voltage and current signals can be generated and read out under the simultaneous temperature–pressure stimuli. For the first time, a real waistcoat-like e-skin with electricity-generating and pressure–temperature-sensing functions on the whole area was designed and prepared by a simple and easy to scale-up production method. All of these features make the developed all-fabric self-powered sensor have very promising applications.

Toward nanobioelectronic medicine: Unlocking new applications using nanotechnology

“…Soft nanoelectronics have also contributed to the development of wearable bioelectronics; it has provided an opportunity to analyze a wider range of electrolytes, particularly non‐blood‐based biological fluids such as saliva, sweat and urine (Elkington et al, 2014; Lee et al, 2018). Being able to analyze these fluids non‐invasively provides new analytical targets; including lactate, pH and temperature (Labroo & Cui, 2013; M. Li, Chen, et al, 2020; Manjakkal et al, 2020).…”

The Interface between Nanoenergy and Self-Powered Electronics

“…(c) Printed silk-fibroin-based triboelectric nanogenerators: triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) for angle sensing [46]. (d) Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)-based 3D thermoelectric spacer fabric: self-powered pressure-temperature sensing e-skin [47]. Reproduced with permission from Elsevier [44,46] and American Chemical Society [45,47].…”

“…(d) Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)-based 3D thermoelectric spacer fabric: self-powered pressure-temperature sensing e-skin [47]. Reproduced with permission from Elsevier [44,46] and American Chemical Society [45,47]. Figure 1a shows a wearable self-powered touch sensor based on graphene [44], which is as thin and stretchable as skin.…”

“…Based on the quantitative relationship between the output voltage and the bending angle, the nanogenerator can sense changes in the angle. Moreover, Figure 1d illustrates a thermoelectric generator-based self-powered pressure-temperature-sensing e-skin derived from a spacer fabric modified with an organic thermoelectric polymer, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) [47]. Due to the thermoelectric characteristics of PEDOT:PSS, the temperature gradient in the sheet-thickness direction of the device results in a voltage signal.…”

“…For indirect utilization, nanoenergy can power electronics and control machines with several intermediate steps such as power management modules and signal regulating process. Reproduced with permission from John Springer Nature [82], Elsevier [31,48,60,78,83], and American Chemical Society [47,68,84].…”