Pioneering production of carbon nanotube fibers for smart fabrics and the Internet of Things
Pioneering production of carbon nanotube fibers for smart fabrics and the Internet of Things lead image
The development of advanced sensors and sensing platforms is critical to the network of data exchange and connectivity between devices and systems known as the Internet of Things (IoT).
The advent of smart fibers, such as carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers, is a significant piece of the puzzle. CNT fibers possess superior mechanical strength, structural flexibility, and thermal and electrical properties, making them ideal for a range of applications, from advanced composite materials to biotechnology to energy storage.
Jeon et al. demonstrated the orientation-dependent electrical properties of CNT fiber arrays and used the fiber arrays to develop a high-performance sensing platform with far-reaching implications.
“We investigated the aligned orientation-dependent resistance properties of CNT fibers, synthesized by the direct spinning method,” said author Dae-Young Jeon. “We also fabricated a force-resistant sensor based on the CNT fiber array, and its performance displayed good sensitivity of about 0.6 kPa−1 and reliable response/recovery characteristics.”
The researchers demonstrated the force-resistant sensor combined with real-time data storage and a monitoring system for the development of IoT cloud systems.
Furthermore, they produced a knittable CNT fiber-based potentiometric position sensor that is suitable for smart fabrics and was successfully operated using an Arduino microcontroller and an LCD monitor.
“Our findings provide [the basis for] an easy-to-manufacture, low-cost, robust CNT fiber-based sensing platform that can be used with an open-sourced microcontroller for integration with the IoT,” said Jeon.
Next, the authors hope to develop multifunctional force and position sensors implemented with moisture-dependent electrical characteristics of CNT fibers.
Source: “Carbon nanotube fiber-based high-performance force and position sensors for smart fabrics and the Internet of things,” by Dae-Young Jeon, Jimin Park, Changwoo Lee, and Seung Min Kim, APL Materials (2023). The article can be accessed at http://doi.org/10.1063/5.0138010 .
