Solvodynamically Printed Silver Nanowire/Ethylene-co-vinyl Acetate Composite Films as Sensitive Piezoresistive Pressure Sensors

Pressure sensing is an important aspect of many processes and has a wide range of applications such as robotics and health monitoring. With the shift toward flexible and wearable technology, it is essential to develop high-performance flexible pressure sensors. In this study, we use solvodynamic printing to fabricate highly conductive piezoresistive composite films consisting of silver nanowires embedded in an ethylene-co-vinyl acetate matrix. The performance of the pressure sensor is tunable based on the composition and patterning of the film. The films can operate under a low input voltage (similar to 0.1 mV) with power consumption of <5 nW and show a low detection limit (12.9 +/- 0.37 Pa), fast response time (11-22 +/- 2.9 ms), and high sensitivity (67.3 +/- 5.9 kPa(-1)) in the low-pressure regime, which is on par with commercially available pressure sensors. We further demonstrate the successful application of the film as a pulse-monitoring device.

Automated summary

The study utilizes solvodynamic printing to fabricate highly conductive piezoresistive composite films with tunable performance for low-pressure sensing, achieving low detection limit, fast response time, and high sensitivity. The film is further successfully applied as a pulse-monitoring device.