Self-powered, stretchable, fiber-based electronic-skin for actively detecting human motion and environmental atmosphere based on a triboelectrification/gas-sensing coupling effect

A new self-powered, stretchable, fiber-based electronic-skin (e-skin) has been fabricated for actively detecting human motion and environmental atmosphere. Several bundles of carbon fibers (coated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or polypyrrole (Ppy)) were woven together, forming a flexible fiber-based e-skin. The triboelectric current of the e-skin was dependent on the strain deformation and the environmental atmosphere. The e-skin can actively detect various human motions, such as finger touch, joint motion, skin deformation and slight stretching. Each PDMS-Ppy crossing point can be employed as an independent unit, and these units can output triboelectric current individually, realizing the tactile perception. The e-skin can also monitor volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere with high sensitivity, recovery and selectivity, (e.g. upon exposure to 1200 ppm methanol vapor, the triboelectric current of the e-skin decreased from 41.17 (in air) to 15.12 nA). The working mechanism is based on the triboelectrification/gas-sensing coupling effect. This new device architecture and material system can promote the development of a self-powered multifunctional e-skin.