sensors-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Graphene-Based Strain and Pressure Sensors

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Sensor Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 September 2024 | Viewed by 8469

Special Issue Editors

Research Center for Nanotechnology Applied to Engineering of Sapienza (CNIS) - Department of Astronautical, Electrical and Energy Engineering (DIAEE), Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Interests: modelling and simulation; electromechanical tests; graphene-based sensors; piezoresistive paints; conductive inks; 3D printed sensors; flexible sensors; piezoresistive foams; smart textiles; wearable devices; structural health monitoring
Research Center for Nanotechnology Applied to Engineering of Sapienza (CNIS) - Department of Astronautical, Electrical and Energy Engineering (DIAEE), Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy
Interests: micro and nanocoating; graphene; carbon-based material; biomaterials; flexible and stretchable electronic devices; transparent conductive film; sensors; piezoelectric materials; electronic textiles; nanogenerator; smart textile; energy harvesting; polymers for drug delivery application; material characterization; 3D printing; thin-film technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Astronautics, Electrical and Energy Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy
Interests: nanotechnology; nanomaterials; energy harvesting; piezoelectric nanocomposites; atomic force microscopy; wearable sensors and structural health monitoring
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the last few years, the rapid progress of nanotechnology and nanoscience has undeniably favored the development of new materials for high-performance strain and pressure sensors which are attracting tremendous attention and investments due to the capabilities they are expected to enable in different fields of application.

In particular, graphene, on account of its outstanding physical properties, has been used in different forms to develop novel highly sensitive, flexible, multifunctional, cost-effective strain/pressure sensors potentially exploitable for the health monitoring of complex structures, for physiological–biomechanical monitoring through wearable devices, and for the emerging electronic-skin and soft robotic technologies.

This Special Issue aims to publish original research papers with a special focus on fabrication, characterization, modeling, and simulation of novel strain/pressure sensors in which graphene plays a fundamental role as sensing material, enables new functionalities, and/or contributes to enhance the sensor response. In particular, the topics of interest include but are not limited to:

- Graphene-based polymeric composites;

- Graphene paints and inks;

- 3D monolithic graphene foams;

- Conductive composite foams combining polymers with graphene;

- Graphene coated foams;

- Periodic architectures using graphene;

- Bioinspired hierarchical graphene structures;

- Graphene-incorporated fibers and textiles;

- Graphene buchypaper;

- Nanowires/graphene heterostructures;

- Graphene membrane arrays.

Prof. Dr. Alessio Tamburrano
Dr. Hossein Cheraghi Bidsorkhi
Dr. Marco Fortunato
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sensors is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Graphene-based polymeric composites
  • Graphene paints and inks
  • 3D monolithic graphene foams
  • Conductive composite foams combining polymers with graphene
  • Graphene coated foams
  • Periodic architectures using graphene
  • Bioinspired hierarchical graphene structures
  • Graphene-incorporated fibers and textiles
  • Graphene buchypaper
  • Nanowires/graphene heterostructures
  • Graphene membrane arrays

Published Papers (5 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 9326 KiB  
Article
3D-Printed Graphene Nanoplatelets/Polymer Foams for Low/Medium-Pressure Sensors
by Marco Fortunato, Luca Pacitto, Nicola Pesce and Alessio Tamburrano
Sensors 2023, 23(16), 7054; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s23167054 - 09 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 809
Abstract
The increasing interest in wearable devices for health monitoring, illness prevention, and human motion detection has driven research towards developing novel and cost-effective solutions for highly sensitive flexible sensors. The objective of this work is to develop innovative piezoresistive pressure sensors utilizing two [...] Read more.
The increasing interest in wearable devices for health monitoring, illness prevention, and human motion detection has driven research towards developing novel and cost-effective solutions for highly sensitive flexible sensors. The objective of this work is to develop innovative piezoresistive pressure sensors utilizing two types of 3D porous flexible open-cell foams: Grid and triply periodic minimal surface structures. These foams will be produced through a procedure involving the 3D printing of sacrificial templates, followed by infiltration with various low-viscosity polymers, leaching, and ultimately coating the pores with graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs). Additive manufacturing enables precise control over the shape and dimensions of the structure by manipulating geometric parameters during the design phase. This control extends to the piezoresistive response of the sensors, which is achieved by infiltrating the foams with varying concentrations of a colloidal suspension of GNPs. To examine the morphology of the produced materials, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) is employed, while mechanical and piezoresistive behavior are investigated through quasi-static uniaxial compression tests. The results obtained indicate that the optimized grid-based structure sensors, manufactured using the commercial polymer Solaris, exhibit the highest sensitivity compared to other tested samples. These sensors demonstrate a maximum sensitivity of 0.088 kPa−1 for pressures below 10 kPa, increasing to 0.24 kPa−1 for pressures of 80 kPa. Furthermore, the developed sensors are successfully applied to measure heartbeats both before and after aerobic activity, showcasing their excellent sensitivity within the typical pressure range exerted by the heartbeat, which typically falls between 10 and 20 kPa. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Graphene-Based Strain and Pressure Sensors)
Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 9059 KiB  
Article
New Sensing and Radar Absorbing Laminate Combining Structural Damage Detection and Electromagnetic Wave Absorption Properties
by Federico Cozzolino, Fabrizio Marra, Marco Fortunato, Irene Bellagamba, Nicola Pesce, Alessio Tamburrano and Maria Sabrina Sarto
Sensors 2022, 22(21), 8470; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s22218470 - 03 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1485
Abstract
Within the paradigm of smart mobility, the development of innovative materials aimed at improving resilience against structural failure in lightweight vehicles and electromagnetic interferences (EMI) due to wireless communications in guidance systems is of crucial relevance to improve safety, sustainability, and reliability in [...] Read more.
Within the paradigm of smart mobility, the development of innovative materials aimed at improving resilience against structural failure in lightweight vehicles and electromagnetic interferences (EMI) due to wireless communications in guidance systems is of crucial relevance to improve safety, sustainability, and reliability in both aeronautical and automotive applications. In particular, the integration of intelligent structural health monitoring and electromagnetic (EM) shielding systems with radio frequency absorbing properties into a polymer composite laminate is still a challenge. In this paper, we present an innovative system consisting of a multi-layered thin panel which integrates nanostructured coatings to combine EM disturbance suppression and low-energy impact monitoring ability. Specifically, it is composed of a stack of dielectric and conductive layers constituting the sensing and EM-absorbing laminate (SEAL). The conductive layers are made of a polyurethane paint filled with graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) at different concentrations to tailor the effective electrical conductivity and the functionality of the material. Basically, the panel includes a piezoresistive grid, obtained by selectively spraying onto mylar a low-conductive paint with 4.5 wt.% of GNPs and an EM-absorbing lossy sheet made of the same polyurethane paint but properly modified with a higher weight fraction (8 wt.%) of graphene. The responses of the grid’s strain sensors were analyzed through quasi-static mechanical bending tests, whereas the absorbing properties were evaluated through free-space and waveguide-based measurement techniques in the X, Ku, K, and Ka bands. The experimental results were also validated by numerical simulations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Graphene-Based Strain and Pressure Sensors)
Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 12554 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Capabilities of a Piezoresistive Graphene-Loaded Waterborne Paint for Discrete Strain and Spatial Sensing
by Alessio Tamburrano, Alessandro Proietti, Marco Fortunato, Nicola Pesce and Maria Sabrina Sarto
Sensors 2022, 22(11), 4241; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s22114241 - 02 Jun 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1605
Abstract
The development of a piezoresistive coating produced from dispersing graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) inside a commercial water-based polyurethane paint is presented. The feasibility of its exploitation for realizing highly sensitive discrete strain sensors and to measure spatial strain distribution using linear and two-dimensional depositions [...] Read more.
The development of a piezoresistive coating produced from dispersing graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) inside a commercial water-based polyurethane paint is presented. The feasibility of its exploitation for realizing highly sensitive discrete strain sensors and to measure spatial strain distribution using linear and two-dimensional depositions was investigated. Firstly, the production process was optimized to achieve the best electromechanical response. The obtained materials were then subjected to different characterizations for structural and functional investigations. Morphological analyses showed a homogenous dispersion of GNPs within the host matrix and an average thickness of about 75 µm of the obtained nanostructured films. By several adhesion tests, it was demonstrated that the presence of the nanostructures inside the paint film lowered the adhesion strength by only 20% in respect to neat paint. Through electrical tests, the percolation curve of the nanomaterial was acquired, showing an effective electrical conductivity ranging from about 10−4 S/m to 3.5 S/m in relation to the different amounts of filler dispersed in the neat paint: in particular, samples with weight fractions of 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 5 and 6 wt% of GNPs were produced and characterized. Next, the sensitivity to flexural strain of small piezoresistive sensors deposited by a spray-coating technique on a fiberglass-reinforced epoxy laminate beam was measured: a high gauge factor of 33 was obtained at a maximum strain of 1%. Thus, the sensitivity curve of the piezoresistive material was successively adopted to predict the strain along a multicontact painted strip on the same beam. Finally, for a painted laminate plate subjected to a mechanical flexural load, we demonstrated, through an electrical resistance tomography technique, the feasibility to map the electrical conductivity variations, which are strictly related to the induced strain/stress field. As a further example, we also showed the possibility of using the coating to detect the presence of conducting objects and damage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Graphene-Based Strain and Pressure Sensors)
Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 8994 KiB  
Article
Piezoresistive Sensor Based on Micrographite-Glass Thick Films
by Osvaldo Correa, Pompeu Pereira de Abreu Filho, Stanislav Moshkalev and Jacobus Swart
Sensors 2022, 22(9), 3256; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s22093256 - 24 Apr 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1580
Abstract
A new Pb-free glass containing several oxides (Bi2O3, B2O3, SiO2, Al2O3 and ZnO) with sintering temperature reduced down to 600 °C has been developed for applications in a piezoresistive pressure [...] Read more.
A new Pb-free glass containing several oxides (Bi2O3, B2O3, SiO2, Al2O3 and ZnO) with sintering temperature reduced down to 600 °C has been developed for applications in a piezoresistive pressure sensor. Using this low sintering temperature glass, it was possible to fabricate micrographite-based pastes and piezoresistive films without losses of graphitic material during the sintering. Good adherence of the films onto alumina substrates was observed and attributed in part to the reactions of ZnO and Bi2O3 with alumina substrates. Piezoresistive films with uniformly distributed micrographite particles were produced using sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC) in aqueous solutions during the preparation of pastes. NaCMC plays a decisive role in interactions between micrographite particles and glassy matrix, providing good wettability of glass powder particles and homogeneous distribution of MG particles in the pastes. Finally, excellent repeatability of the sensor response to the applied deformations was verified in cycling experiments when the sample was submitted to 1000 load/release cycles. These results demonstrated very high stability of the sensor response (within ±1%), and also evidenced high stability of the film under the cyclic strain loads and good film adherence to the substrate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Graphene-Based Strain and Pressure Sensors)
Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 6156 KiB  
Article
A Comparative Study on the Electrical and Piezoresistive Sensing Characteristics of GFRP and CFRP Composites with Hybridized Incorporation of Carbon Nanotubes, Graphenes, Carbon Nanofibers, and Graphite Nanoplatelets
by Manan Bhandari, Jianchao Wang, Daeik Jang, IlWoo Nam and Baofeng Huang
Sensors 2021, 21(21), 7291; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s21217291 - 02 Nov 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2063
Abstract
In this study, hybridized carbon nanomaterials (CNMs), such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs)–graphene, CNT–carbon nanofibers (CNFs), or CNT–graphite nanoplatelet (GNP) materials were embedded in glass-fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP) or carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) composites to obtain electrical/piezoresistive sensing characteristics that surpass those of composites with only [...] Read more.
In this study, hybridized carbon nanomaterials (CNMs), such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs)–graphene, CNT–carbon nanofibers (CNFs), or CNT–graphite nanoplatelet (GNP) materials were embedded in glass-fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP) or carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) composites to obtain electrical/piezoresistive sensing characteristics that surpass those of composites with only one type of CNM. In addition, to quantitatively assess their sensing characteristics, the materials were evaluated in terms of gauge factor, peak shift, and R-squared values. The electrical property results showed that the GFRP samples containing only CNTs or both CNTs and graphene exhibited higher electrical conductivity values than those of other composite samples. By evaluating piezoresistive sensing characteristics, the CNT–CNF GFRP composites showed the highest gauge factor values, followed by the CNT–graphene GFRP and CNT-only GFRP composites. These results are explained by the excluded volume theory. The peak shift and R-squared value results signified that the CNT–graphene GFRP composites exhibited the best sensing characteristics. Thus, the CNT–graphene GFRP composites would be the most feasible for use as FRP composite sensors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Graphene-Based Strain and Pressure Sensors)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop