Pressure Sensing and Electronic Amplification with Functionalized Graphite-Silicone Composite

A flexible yet electronically active composite that mimics mechanoreceptor neurons in the human skin is synthesized, generating voltage oscillations whose frequency increases with pressure. By encoding pressure into frequency, the sensor achieves a high pressure sensitivity (< 10 Pa). The ability to sense pressure and to amplify signals arises from the robust negative differential resistance of functionalized graphitic flakes in silicone.