Polypyrrole/silver coaxial nanocables structured aerogels as piezoresistive sensors

Abstract Pressure sensors are highly desirable for applications of flexible devices, especially, piezoresistive sensors, which are class of sensors that convert pressure signals into resistance signals. However, the sensitivity and stability of sensor have yet to be upgraded. Herein, we reported the preparation of elastic aerogels of polypyrrole/silver coaxial nanocables structure via in-situ polymerization under mild condition. Added outer polypyrrole significantly improved the free-standing and mechanical properties of aerogel. The aerogel exhibited high compression resistance (maximum stress value at 80% strain is 38 kPa.). Moreover, aerogels possessed excellent mechanical robustness and electrical conductivity, which enabled the device to show a stable strain-current response (1000 cycles), as well as a fast response time (230 ms) and recovery time (190 ms). Furthermore, aerogels displayed different response currents at different strain pressures.