Stretchable hybrid electronic network-based e-skin for proximity and multifunctional tactile sensing

Abstract

Multifunctional integrated flexible electronic skin (e-skin) is the essential medium for information exchange between humans and machines. Especially, the proximity/pressure/strain sensing has become a technological goal for various emerging wearable electronic devices, such as biomonitoring devices, smart electronics, augmented reality, and prosthetics. Herein, a stretchable hybrid electronic network-based e-skin is presented, fabricated by embedding 3D hollow MXene spheres/Ag NWs hybrid nanocomposite into PDMS, which can effectively avoid the electrode falling off due to stress concentration. This e-skin works in noncontact mode (proximity-negative capacitance) and contact mode (pressure-positive capacitance and strain-resistance) for multiplex detection of random external force stimuli without mutual interference. The macroscopic physical structure of stretchable electrodes and the microscopic hybrid three-dimensional conductive network jointly contribute to the good sensing performance of the device. This work provides an effective and universal strategy for the application of wearable intelligent electronic products that demand noncontact interaction and multimodal tactile perception.