Thermoplastic polyurethane flexible capacitive proximity sensor reinforced by CNTs for applications in the creative industries.

Wearable sensing platforms have been rapidly advanced over recent years, thanks to numerous achievements in a variety of sensor fabrication techniques. However, the development of a flexible proximity sensor that can perform in a large range of object mobility remains a challenge. Here, a polymer-based sensor that utilizes a nanostructure composite as the sensing element has been presented for forthcoming usage in healthcare and automotive applications. Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU)/Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) composites are capable of detecting presence of an external object in a wide range of distance. The proximity sensor exhibits an unprecedented detection distance of 120 mm with a resolution of 0.3%/mm. The architecture and manufacturing procedures of TPU/CNTs sensor are straightforward and performance of the proximity sensor shows robustness to reproducibility as well as excellent electrical and mechanical flexibility under different bending radii and over hundreds of bending cycles with variation of 4.7% and 4.2%, respectively. Tunneling and fringing effects are addressed as the sensing mechanism to explain significant capacitance changes. Percolation threshold analysis of different TPU/CNT contents indicated that nanocomposites having 2 wt% carbon nanotubes are exhibiting excellent sensing capabilities to achieve maximum detection accuracy and least noise among others. Fringing capacitance effect of the structure has been systematically analyzed by ANSYS Maxwell (Ansoft) simulation, as the experiments precisely supports the sensitivity trend in simulation. Our results introduce a new mainstream platform to realize an ultrasensitive perception of objects, presenting a promising prototype for application in wearable proximity sensors for motion analysis and artificial electronic skin.

Electrospun Nanofibers for Label-Free Sensor Applications.

Electrospinning is a simple, low-cost and versatile method for fabricating submicron and nano size fibers. Due to their large surface area, high aspect ratio and porous structure, electrospun nanofibers can be employed in wide range of applications. Biomedical, environmental, protective clothing and sensors are just few. The latter has attracted a great deal of attention, because for biosensor application, nanofibers have several advantages over traditional sensors, including a high surface-to-volume ratio and ease of functionalization. This review provides a short overview of several electrospun nanofibers applications, with an emphasis on biosensor applications. With respect to this area, focus is placed on label-free sensors, pertaining to both recent advances and fundamental research. Here, label-free sensor properties of sensitivity, selectivity, and detection are critically evaluated. Current challenges in this area and prospective future work is also discussed.

Strong ultralight foams based on nanocrystalline cellulose for high-performance insulation.

Environmentally friendly, sustainable, and high-performance thermal insulators are in high demand. Petroleum-based insulator foams usually have high thermal conductivity and pose health hazards. Here, we report ultralight composite foams that are highly strong, elastic, and super-insulating. The foams are composed of nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) (74 wt%), polyvinyl alcohol (7.5 wt%), and a crosslinking agent (18.5 wt%). The fabrication process is simple and uses only water. The composite foams exhibit an elastic strain of ˜13% at a modulus of 250 K Pa and a stress of 73 K Pa at 50% strain (100+ and 18 times, respectively, higher than those of pure NCC foam); both exceed the values of reported nanocellulose-based foams with no reinforcement. The foams exhibit a thermal conductivity of 0.027 Wm-1 K-1, which is superior to those of traditional insulating materials. The structural integrity is also preserved after burning. Our results show that NCC-based materials can be engineered towards high-performance insulation applications.

Bidirectional and Stretchable Piezoresistive Sensors Enabled by Multimaterial 3D Printing of Carbon Nanotube/Thermoplastic Polyurethane Nanocomposites.

Fabricating complex sensor platforms is still a challenge because conventional sensors are discrete, directional, and often not integrated within the system at the material level. Here, we report a facile method to fabricate bidirectional strain sensors through the integration of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and multimaterial additive manufacturing. Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/MWCNT filaments were first made using a two-step extrusion process. TPU as the platform and TPU/MWCNT as the conducting traces were then 3D printed in tandem using multimaterial fused filament fabrication to generate uniaxial and biaxial sensors with several conductive pattern designs. The sensors were subjected to a series of cyclic strain loads. The results revealed excellent piezoresistive responses with cyclic repeatability in both the axial and transverse directions and in response to strains as high as 50%. It was shown that the directional sensitivity could be tailored by the type of pattern design. A wearable glove, with built-in sensors, capable of measuring finger flexure was also successfully demonstrated where the sensors are an integral part of the system. These sensors have potential applications in wearable electronics, soft robotics, and prosthetics, where complex design, multi-directionality, embedding, and customizability are demanded.

Physical, mechanical and barrier properties of corn starch films incorporated with plant essential oils.

Corn starch-based films are inherently brittle and lack the necessary mechanical integrity for conventional packaging. However, the incorporation of additives can potentially improve the mechanical properties and processability of starch films. In this work two essential oils, Zataria multiflora Boiss (ZEO) or Mentha pulegium (MEO) at three levels (1%, 2% and 3% (v/v)), were incorporated into starch films using a solution casting method to improve the mechanical and water vapor permeability (WVP) properties and to impart antimicrobial activity. Increasing the content of ZEO or MEO from 2% to 3% (v/v) increased values for elongation at break from 94.38% to 162.45% and from 53.34% to 107.71% respectively, but did not significantly change tensile strength values of the films. The WVP properties of the films decreased from 7.79 to 3.37 or 3.19 g mm m(-2) d(-1) kPa(-1) after 3% (v/v) ZEO or MEO incorporation respectively. The oxygen barrier properties were unaffected at the 1% and 2% (v/v) oil concentration used but oxygen transmission increased with 3% (v/v) for both formulations. The films' color became slightly yellow as the levels of ZEO or MEO were increased although transparency was maintained. Both films demonstrated antimicrobial activity with films containing ZEO more effective against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus than those containing MEO. These results suggest that ZEO and MEO have the potential to be directly incorporated into corn starch to prepare antimicrobial biodegradable films for various food packaging applications.

Comparative evaluation on fatty acid and Matricaria recutita essential oil incorporated into casein-based film.

Sodium caseinate composite films containing lipids-oleic acid (OA), stearic acid (SA), or Matricaria recutita essential oil (MEO) - were prepared through emulsification and their physical, thermal, mechanical, and barrier properties were evaluated and compared. Furthermore, their antimicrobial effectiveness against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli was studied. Emulsified films were softer, less rigid, and more stretchable than pure films. The films' water vapor barrier properties were found to decrease upon the addition of lipid content; this effect was greatly reduced when MEO was added. The presence of OA/SA and MEO decreased tensile strength and elastic modulus but increased the elongation at break. Thermal analysis of all emulsified films showed two endothermic peaks; these results confirmed those obtained by SEM studies, where a partial separation of the two phases occurred. The films' antimicrobial activities were increased by incorporating lipids, particularly those containing MEO, which were more effective against the studied bacteria. This work showed that when taking all the studied variables into account, films formulated with MEO were found most suitable for various food applications.