Self-healable and Robust Silicone Elastomer for Ultrasensitive Flexible Sensors

The developed ultrasensitive sensor displayedexcellentreusability contributed by the high healing efficiency of the synthesizedsilicone elastomer. Capturing human motions using wearable electronics providestremendousopportunities for human-machine interfaces. However, currentflexible sensors are always challenged due to the contradiction betweenthe self-healing property and mechanical performance of the flexiblematrix. Moreover, the strain sensing range of current sensors is alwayslimited within 5% due to the ineffectiveness of conductive componentsupon larger strain. Inspired by the synergistic combination of hydrogenbondings and metal coordination, a self-healable elastomer was synthesized,which displayed a tensile strength of 1.73 MPa and a self-healingefficiency of 93%. Moreover, the designed flexible sensor using asynthesized silicone elastomer substrate and a carbon nanotube conductivecomponent displayed a high gauge factor of 1198 contributed by thecooperation of the wrinkle structure and the microcrack mechanism.The flexible sensors exhibited a fast response of 129 ms due to theexcellent adhesion of the conductive layer upon the substrate. Furthermore,a wearable intelligent gesture capturing system integrating an elastomer-basedsensor and a wireless electronic control module was successfully developedto realize the real-time monitoring of hand gestures. Thus, the developedsilicone elastomer-based sensor holds high potential for human-machineinterfaces and provides a novel pathway for hand rehabilitation training.