Flexible and Sensitivity-Adjustable Pressure Sensors Based on Carbonized Bacterial Nanocellulose/Wood-Derived Cellulose Nanofibril Composite Aerogels

Abstract

For sustainability and environmental friendliness, the renewable biomaterials including cellulose have been widely used in flexible electronics, such as pressure sensors. Herein, the carbonized bacterial nanocellulose with excellent conductivity and wood-derived cellulose nanofibrils are combined to prepare the aerogel through directional ice-templating and freeze-drying. The obtained composite aerogel, which has a porous structure and aligned channels, is further employed as an active layer to prepare the resistive-type pressure sensor on a paper substrate. This pressure sensor exhibits remarkable flexibility, fast response, reliability, and especially adjustable sensitivity in a wide pressure range (0-100 kPa). In addition, the sensor's working mechanism and potential applications, such as motion detection, footstep recognition, and communication with smartphones via Bluetooth, are also well demonstrated. Moreover, this work provides novel insights into the development of green pressure sensors and the utilization of sustainable natural biomaterials in high-tech fields.