Stretchable strain sensor with high sensitivity, large workable range and excellent breathability for wearable electronic skins.

Stretchable strain sensors with integrated attributes of flexibility and robustness are urgently required owing to their promising applications in healthcare monitoring and environment detection. Herein, we achieved a highly stretchable thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) mat (PUM) through electrospinning, then decorated with polyaniline (PANI) nanoparticles bridged by reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets by in-situ polymerization and ultrasonication. The rGO/PANI/TPU mat (GPTM) was then assembled as the strain sensor (GPTSS), showing a wide sensing range of 0.1%–300% strain, high gauge factor (GF) of 3000.2, favorable sensing stability, short response time (90 ms) and excellent long-term durability after 10000 stretching/releasing cycles, which endows the strain sensor with high discernibility for detecting intricate human motions. The GPTSS shows the capacity to precisely monitor ammonia gas (as low as 5 ppm), which can be used to detect harmful gases. The integrated capabilities of strain sensing and environmental monitoring promote the progress of high-performance electronics. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]