Dual cross-linked self-healing temperature and pressure sensor based on PAM/ENR/h-BN composite

Sensor of monitor of temperature and pressure changes are garnering constant attention due to their wide applications. It is a challenge to synthesize dual functional material with the well-balanced performance to temperature response and pressure changes. In this work, we have proposed a facile way to fabricate tough, flexible, and self-healing composite with dually synergistic networks for pressure and temperature sensors, which are composed of polyacrylamide (PAM) and elastic epoxidized natural rubber (ENR). PAM networks are crosslinked by N,N-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) and physical crosslinking of hydrophilic hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanosheets, ENR network is further interlocked and PAM by physical entanglements, hydrogen bonds. It is found that the ternary PAM/ENR/h-BN (PEB) composite is highly sensitive to temperature, making it can be exploited as a thermistor. This thermistor possesses high flexibility and appealing mechanical performance, with the sensitivity as high as 1.87%/degrees C at temperature range of -13 to 90 degrees C. Furtherly, the PEB composite also can work as a flexible pressure sensor at operating range of similar to 80% strain and similar to 540 KPa. Our research work provides a guideline for the preparation of temperature monitor, piezoresistive pressure sensors, as well as flexible electronic products.