Vertically-grown Ag nanoplates on SeZnO3 nanosheets for an enhanced pressure sensing performance

As a piezoelectric ceramic material, SeZnO3 has received increasing attention for pressure sensing. However, the poor conductivity and low dielectric constant of bare SeZnO3 severely limit its wide applications. Herein, to improve the pressure sensing properties of SeZnO3 , SeZnO3 nanosheets composited with Ag nanoplates were synthesized via a dissolution coprecipitation method, which exhibited a higher sensitivity (54.8 kPa(-1)) to external pressure with an excellent repeatability than that of bare SeZnO3 nanosheets (12.3 kPa(-1)). The enhanced pressure sensing properties of Ag/SeZnO3 nanocomposites could be attributed to an increased dielectric constant and an enhanced charge output. Moreover, the nanocomposite-based pressure sensors showed an accelerated response/recovery rate (0.7 s/2.7 s) because of the effective charge transfer between SeZnO3 and Ag, which was confirmed by XPS results. This Ag/SeZnO3 composite nanosheet-based pressure sensor demonstrates a potential for practical monitoring of human movement.

Automated summary

Ag/SeZnO3 composite nanosheets were synthesized to improve the pressure sensing properties of SeZnO3. The composite material exhibited higher sensitivity and repeatability, with an accelerated response/recovery rate. This composite shows potential for practical monitoring of human movement.