Tannic acid-mediated in situ synthesis of silver/cellulose nanocomposites for wide-range piezoresistive sensors with high durability
摘要
Paper-based piezoresistive sensors have gained significant attention for wearable electronics, but traditional methods that mix cellulose fibers with conductive materials limit their range and durability. This study introduces a novel fabrication technique using in-situ reduction of tannic acid (TA) to deposit silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) onto cellulose fibers (CF). The resulting AgNPs-TA@CF composite is converted into conductive paper, which functions as a pressure-sensitive material for sensors. These sensors exhibit a wide range of 3.3 to 2000 kPa and sensitivities of 0.184 kPa−1 (3.3 to 27 kPa), 6.010 kPa−1 (27 to 124 kPa), and 0.027 kPa−1 (124 to 2000 kPa). Additionally, the sensors demonstrate exceptional durability, enduring up to 20,000 cycles without significant performance degradation. This is attributed to the uniform distribution of AgNPs on cellulose fibers, facilitated by the in-situ reduction effect of TA. Moreover, the adhesive properties of TA enhance the interfacial bonding between AgNPs and fibers, thereby improving structural stability. Furthermore, these sensors can effectively detect human activities, vibrations from smartphones and pressure array. The in-situ modification of conductive materials on cellulose fiber surfaces through polyphenol reduction presents an innovative approach for constructing high-performance paper-based sensors.