Green technique solvent-free fabrication of silver nanoparticle–carbon nanotube flexible films for wearable sensors

Abstract Fabricating flexible/stretchable physical sensors has emerged as a topic of interest owing to the huge market demand for wearable medical devices and electronic skins for the regular and continuous monitoring of human health information. Herein, we report a green and efficient strategy for constructing a sensitive polydimethylsiloxane-derived wearable piezoresistive sensor, based on silver nanoparticle (AgNP)@multi-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) nanocomposite films. The developed sensing material exhibited good flexibility and electrical conductivity because of the interfacial effect between AgNPs and CNTs, leading to excellent sensing performances with good sensitivity, fast response time, low operating voltage, and mechanical stability, as measured under different pressure loading, bending angle, and percentage elongation conditions. In addition, finger movement recognition was sampled by testing the exceptional resistance change, and its practicality was further proven. Thus, the developed material has potential for application in wearable electronics. Notably, the entire sensor fabrication process is low-cost, environment-friendly, scalable, and industrially available, which is beneficial for industrial applications.