Research Advances of Bio-Inspired Carbon Nanotubes-Based Sensors
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Research Advances of Bio-Inspired Carbon Nanotubes-Based Sensors Chengzhi Luo1,2 and Chunxu Pan1,2* 1
Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518057, China.
2
School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China.
ABSTRACT
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) possess superior mechanical, physical and chemical properties that make them ideal candidates for making sensors. However, challenges restricting their widespread applications in sensors still exist. To make the CNTs-based sensors own higher performance, nature has offered us with scientific and technological clues from the formation of biological composites using common organic components via naturally mild approaches. This paper reviews the recent progress on the bio-inspired synthesis of the CNTs-based sensors and their unique structures and novel properties.
INTRODUCTION Recent developments in flexible and stretchable electronics, either through structural consideration or by exploring novel materials, have imparted otherwise rigid and brittle electronic devices mechanical compliance and bio-compatibility, paving the way for energy-efficient, lightweight, portable, wearable and even implantable electronics [1]. Examples include stretchable and large area display that can undergo complex deformations, bio-inspired material and structural designs that enable bionic functions, and printable sensory system capable of detecting planar strains, normal pressure, temperature, light, moisture and chemical/biological species [2-4]. Multifunctional sensors, in particular, with sensing abilities akin to or beyond those of human skin, are essential for applications such as interactive electronics, structural health monitoring, smart clothing, robotic systems with advanced sensing capabilities, human motion detection, etc. [5-7]. In recent years, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted great attention for applications in sentors. It is well-known that CNTs possess high strength, high toughness, high thermal stability, and superior electrical conductivity, which exhibit an attractive, emerging class of material for scalable integration into devices. These features suggest the potential for realistic applications as conducting or semiconducting layers in diverse types of sensor systems. For example, the electronic properties of CNTs, which consist exclusively of surface atoms, are very sensitive to adsorbents [8,9]. The variations can be electrically evaluated in resistor, transistor, or capacitor structures. Therefore, it is possible to incorporate CNTsState as sensing forat various molecules, Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. North Carolina University,elements on 02 Jan 2018 07:10:54, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1557/adv.2017.629
from toxic chemical vapors to bio-macromolecules [10,11]. Compared with individual CNT, the CNTs thin film, where a large number of tubes are exposed to analytes simultaneously, not only improves the s
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