Dynamic/static mechanical stimulation double responses and self-powered green electronic skin based on electrode potential difference

Low-power or self-powered electronic skin (e-skin) is considered an important research area, as it reduces the requirements for stable energy sources in electronic systems. However, most reported self-powered e-skins can only detect dynamic mechanical stimuli, but cannot detect ubiquitous static mechanical stimuli, resulting in a significant amount of information loss. In this paper, we report a self-powered e-skin based on electrode potential difference that can detect dynamic/static mechanical stimuli with sensitivity and response time of 399 mV/kPa and 85 ms, respectively. In this device, the mechanical stimulus is converted into a voltage signal by regulating the impedance of the electrode/electrolyte interface. In the process of preparing the device, a green electrode ink was prepared using a water-soluble, biodegradable polymer as the binder of the active material. Owing to the printability of the ink, a patterned electrode can be formed on a flexible substrate using low-cost screen-printing technology. Finally, we designed a co-planar shared electrode structure, which effectively reduced the complexity of the circuit layout. This new device has been successfully used for information acquisition of objects and detection of physiological signals, and we believe it has significant implications for the future development of e-skins.

Automated summary

Low-power or self-powered electronic skin (e-skin) is an important research area. In this study, a self-powered e-skin based on electrode potential difference was developed, which can detect both dynamic and static mechanical stimuli with high sensitivity and fast response time. The device utilizes a water-soluble, biodegradable polymer as the binder for the electrode ink and features a patterned electrode formed by low-cost screen-printing technology. The co-planar shared electrode structure reduces the complexity of the circuit layout. This new device has been successfully applied in object information acquisition and physiological signal detection, showing significant implications for the future development of e-skins.