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Toward Stretchable Self‐Powered Sensors Based on the Thermoelectric Response of PEDOT:PSS/Polyurethane Blends

2017; Wiley; Volume: 28; Issue: 15 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1002/adfm.201704285

1616-3028

Prospero J. Taroni, Giovanni Santagiuliana, Kening Wan, Philip Calado, Manting Qiu, Han Zhang, Nicola M. Pugno, Matteo Palma, Natalie Stingelin, Martin Heeney, Oliver Fenwick, Mark Baxendale, Emiliano Bilotti,

Advanced Thermoelectric Materials and Devices

Abstract The development of new flexible and stretchable sensors addresses the demands of upcoming application fields like internet‐of‐things, soft robotics, and health/structure monitoring. However, finding a reliable and robust power source to operate these devices, particularly in off‐the‐grid, maintenance‐free applications, still poses a great challenge. The exploitation of ubiquitous temperature gradients, as the source of energy, can become a practical solution, since the recent discovery of the outstanding thermoelectric properties of a conductive polymer, poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene)‐poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). Unfortunately the use of PEDOT:PSS is currently constrained by its brittleness and limited processability. Herein, PEDOT:PSS is blended with a commercial elastomeric polyurethane (Lycra), to obtain tough and processable self‐standing films. A remarkable strain‐at‐break of ≈700% is achieved for blends with 90 wt% Lycra, after ethylene glycol treatment, without affecting the Seebeck voltage. For the first time the viability of these novel blends as stretchable self‐powered sensors is demonstrated.