Multifunctional Rubber Latex Threads Based on MXene@Natural Rubber/Polyacrylamide for Temperature and Strain Sensors

Abstract

The use of renewable resources in advancement of polymeric products is becoming increasingly relevant in the era due to the scarcity of fossil resources and threats from global warming. Herein, a cost-effective, eco-friendly benign route has been developed for the preparation of dual-network (DN) functional latex threads through natural rubber (NR), polyacrylamide (PAM), and MXenes. It is found that the NR/PAM/MXene (NPM) DN latex threads are highly sensitive to temperature changes, which can be exploited as a channel material for a thermal monitor. The NPM DN latex threads possess high flexibility and appealing mechanical performance, with a sensitivity as high as ∼2.0%/°C at the temperature range of −14.1−80 °C. Meanwhile, it can also work as a strain sensor at the working range of 0−200%. Large mechanical deformations, such as flexion with 180°, do not affect the electrical property. Good flexibility enables the latex threads to be woven into fabrics for practical temperature and strain detection. Remarkably, the thermal and strain sensitivities can be promoted by prestrain, enabling them to be programable. Latex threads with tunable sensitivity are superior to conventional materials that lack flexibility.

Engineering Ionic Dough with a Deep Eutectic Solvent: From a Traditional Dough Figurine to Flexible Electronics

“…Flexible wearable strain sensors have attracted extensive attention because of their substantial applications in health management, − electronic skins, human–machine interfaces, soft robotics, and more. − Conductive hydrogels have brought many opportunities for flexible strain sensors due to their good conductivity, self-healing ability, stretchability, tunable conducting channels, biocompatibility, compliance, and affinity with the skin. − However, many existing hydrogels still suffer from some drawbacks and cannot meet the needs of long-term and stability sensing applications. First, many existing conventional conductive hydrogels using water as the dispersion medium inevitably freeze at subzero temperatures, dehydrate in the air at a relatively high temperature, and thus become rigid, fragile, and non-conductive .…”