Degradable PVAc-graphene nanofibrous membrane for flexible piezocapacitive sensors

Abstract

With growing life expectancy and a rise in population with sedentary lifestyles, the load on existing healthcare infrastructure is expected to increase manifolds in the next two decades. As per National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) the number of centenarians will quadruple by 2040 [1]. The need of the hour is robust, reliable, sensitive, and inexpensive wearable sensors capable of providing intimate and detailed information regarding a person’s physiological parameters. However, it is also critical that such sensors are environmentally friendly and that production is sustainable. In this work, we present graphene-polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) electrospun nanofibrous membrane-based degradable piezocapacitive sensors for applications in wearables. The sensor featured in this work comprises of 0.25 wt.% graphene-loaded electrospun nanofiber membrane sandwiched between two layers of fabric-based flexible electrodes. The degradability of the sensors has been demonstrated previously [2]. It is expected that sensors similar to the one presented here will gain widespread acceptance for future applications in flexible electronics and wearable devices.