A biomimetic laminated strategy enabled strain-interference free and durable flexible thermistor electronics

The development of flexible thermistor epidermal electronics (FTEE) to satisfy high temperature resolution without strain induced signal distortion is of great significance but still challenging. Inspired by the nacre microstructure capable of restraining the stress concentration, we exemplify a versatile MXene-based thermistor elastomer sensor (TES) platform that significantly alleviates the strain interference by the biomimetic laminated strategy combining with the in-plane stress dissipation and nacre-mimetic hierarchical architecture, delivering competitive advantages of superior thermosensitivity (-1.32% degrees C-1), outstanding temperature resolution (similar to 0.3 degrees C), and unparalleled mechanical durability (20000 folding fatigue cycles), together with considerable improvement in strain-tolerant thermosensation over commercial thermocouple in exercise scenario. By a combination of theoretical model simulation, microstructure observation, and superposed signal detection, the authors further reveal the underlying temperature and strain signal decoupling mechanism that substantiate the generality and customizability of the nacre-mimetic strategy, possessing insightful significance of fabricating FTEE for static and dynamic temperature detection.

Automated summary

Inspired by the nacre microstructure, a versatile MXene-based thermistor elastomer sensor platform has been developed to alleviate strain interference, improve thermosensitivity, and enhance mechanical durability. The underlying temperature and strain signal decoupling mechanism has been revealed, providing important insights for the fabrication of FTEE.