Biodegradable, Flexible and Transparent Tactile Pressure Sensor Based on Rubber Leaf Skeletons

Capacitive sensors have many applications in tactile sensing, human-machine interfaces, on-body sensors, and patient monitoring. Particularly in biomedical applications, it would be beneficial if the sensor is disposable and readily degradable for efficient recycling. In this study, we report a biodegradable capacitive tactile pressure sensor based on sustainable and bio resourced materials. Silver-nanowire-coated rubber tree leaf skeletons are used as transparent and flexible electrodes while a biodegradable clear tape is used as the dielectric layer. The fabricated sensor is sensitive and can respond to low pressures (7.9 mN when pressed with a probe with a surface area of 79 mm(2) / 0.1 kPa) ranging to relatively high pressures (37 kPa), with a sensitivity up to approximate to 4.5 x 10(-3) kPa(-1). Owing to all bio resourced constituents, the sensor is biodegradableand does not create electronic waste.