Unidirectionally Sensitive Flexible Resistance Strain Sensor Based on AgNWs/PDMS

The flexible strain sensor has found widespread application due to its excellent flexibility, extensibility, and adaptability to various scenarios. This type of sensors face challenges in direction identification owing to strong coupling between the principal strain and transverse resistance. In this study, a silver nanowires (Ag-NWs)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) strain sensor was developed using a filtration method for preparing the AgNWs film, which was then combined with PDMS to create a unidirectional, highly sensitive, fast-responsive, and linear flexible strain sensor. When the grid width is 0.25 mm, the AgNWs/PDMS strain sensor demonstrates an outstanding unidirectional sensitivity, with a strain response solely along the parallel direction of the grid lines (noise ratio α ≈ 8%), and a fast reaction time of roughly 106.99 ms. In the end, this sensor’s ability to detect curvature was also demonstrated through LEDs, demonstrating its potential applications in various fields, including automotive, medical, and wearable devices. © Shanghai Jiao Tong University 2024.