Fabrication of Cellulose ZnO Hybrid Nanocomposite and Its Strain Sensing Behavior

This paper reports a hybrid nanocomposite of well-aligned zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods on cellulose and its strain sensing behavior. ZnO nanorods are chemically grown on a cellulose film by using a hydrothermal process, termed as cellulose ZnO hybrid nanocomposite (CEZOHN). CEZOHN is made by seeding and growing of ZnO on the cellulose and its structural properties are investigated. The well-aligned ZnO nanorods in conjunction with the cellulose film shows enhancement of its electromechanical property. Strain sensing behaviors of the nanocomposite are tested in bending and longitudinal stretching modes and the CEZOHN strain sensors exhibit linear responses.