New manufacturing strategy improves graphene airgel sensitivity and durability for human-machine interfaces
Graphene airgel shows potential as a high-performance pressure sensor in human-machine interfaces due to its mechanical properties and electrical conductivity. Anisotropic chitosan graphene oxide (CS-GO) airgel metamaterials with highly ordered honeycomb microstructures were synthesized using conventional directional freeze casting. Subsequently, cross-linked chitosan and reduced graphene oxide (CCS-rGO) aerogels with buckled networks achieved by heating and post-crosslinking at 180 °C for 3 h have ultrahigh sensitivity (121.45 kPa-1) and durability. It exhibits directional hyperelasticity (70% compression for 20,000 cycles) and is used as a pressure sensor. Credit: Wang et al.
In recent years, researchers have synthesized a variety of new materials that can be used to develop more advanced robotic systems, devices, and human-machine interfaces. These materials include graphene airgel, an ultralight, porous, graphene-based material composed of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a 2D honeycomb lattice.
Although graphene airgel has many advantageous properties such as minimal weight, high porosity, and good electrical conductivity, engineers who tried to use graphene airgel to develop pressure sensors faced several difficulties. did. Specifically, many of these materials have inherently rigid microstructures, which limits their strain-sensing capabilities.
Researchers from Xi’an Jiaotong University, Northumbria University (UK), UCLA, University of Alberta, and other institutions recently introduced a new manufacturing strategy to synthesize airgel metamaterials to overcome this limitation. The strategy, outlined in a paper in Nanoletters, produces durable graphene oxide-based airgel metamaterials that exhibit remarkable sensitivity to human touch and movement.
“This study was driven purely by student curiosity, and we occasionally found unusual structural changes in certain planar cross-sections,” study co-author Dr. Ben Hsu told Phys. told org. “This anisotropic phase change intrigued us, and we quickly realized that the associated functional changes enabled beautiful directional pressure-sensing capabilities.”
The team’s strategy for producing graphene oxide-based metamaterials spans two key steps. These include the use of a dehydration technique known as freeze-drying and a heat treatment process known as annealing.
“The pre-solution also contains certain chemicals that act as a ‘glue’ for the graphene to build the honeycomb-shaped cross-section,” Dr. Xu explained. “The structural configuration of the cross-section on a dedicated surface is achieved by thermal annealing and can be tuned by micro-nanomechanics. With this simple strategy, the buckled cross-section was achieved in one go.”
Dr. Xu and colleagues synthesized anisotropically cross-linked chitosan and reduced graphene oxide (CCS-rGO) airgel metamaterial using the proposed fabrication strategy. The material was found to exhibit remarkable directional superelasticity, exceptional durability, good mechanical and electrical performance, long sensing range, and very high sensitivity to stimuli of 121.45 kPa-1.
“We are currently conducting interdisciplinary research with diverse interests, including functional materials and energy technologies, sustainable engineering, healthcare materials, materials chemistry, responsive materials/surfaces, and microengineering.” Dr. Xu said.
Dr Xu’s team at Northumbria University is currently carrying out further research aimed at developing promising metamaterials for a variety of technological applications. In the future, their proposed fabrication strategy may contribute to the synthesis of additional graphene oxide-based airgel metamaterials, thereby potentially advancing human-machine interfaces in advanced healthcare and prosthetics. There is.
Another development track for such sensors is wind energy.
“We have recently focused on functional materials and engineering technologies for the offshore wind energy sector,” added Dr. Xu. “We are also looking forward to applying our materials/sensor research to the newly awarded EU cost action CA23155 to advance new marine tribology. This project focuses on offshore wind energy and , contributing to the global goals of net zero and sustainability.”
Further information: Yuhao Wang et al., Microstructured graphene oxide airgel metamaterial for ultra-robust directional sensing in human-machine interfaces. Nano Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c03706
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Citation: New fabrication strategy improves sensitivity and durability of graphene airgel for human-machine interfaces (October 18, 2024) https://phys.org/news/2024-10-fabrication-strategy-graphene-aerogel- Retrieved October 19, 2024 from sensitivity.html
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