STRETCHY ELECTRONICS. Hierarchically buckled sheath-core fibers for superelastic electronics, sensors, and muscles

Z F Liu; S Fang; F A Moura; J N Ding; N Jiang; J Di; M Zhang; X Lepró; D S Galvão; C S Haines; N Y Yuan; S G Yin; D W Lee; R Wang; H Y Wang; W Lv; C Dong; R C Zhang; M J Chen; Q Yin; Y T Chong; R Zhang; X Wang; M D Lima; R Ovalle-Robles; D Qian; H Lu; R H Baughman

doi:10.1126/science.aaa7952

STRETCHY ELECTRONICS. Hierarchically buckled sheath-core fibers for superelastic electronics, sensors, and muscles

Science. 2015 Jul 24;349(6246):400-4. doi: 10.1126/science.aaa7952.

Authors

Z F Liu¹, S Fang², F A Moura³, J N Ding⁴, N Jiang², J Di⁵, M Zhang⁶, X Lepró⁵, D S Galvão⁷, C S Haines⁵, N Y Yuan⁸, S G Yin⁹, D W Lee¹⁰, R Wang⁸, H Y Wang⁹, W Lv⁸, C Dong⁸, R C Zhang⁹, M J Chen⁸, Q Yin⁸, Y T Chong¹⁰, R Zhang¹¹, X Wang¹², M D Lima⁵, R Ovalle-Robles¹³, D Qian¹², H Lu¹², R H Baughman²

Affiliations

¹ Alan G. MacDiarmid NanoTech Institute, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA. Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Photovoltaic Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China. Jiangnan Graphene Research Institute, Changzhou 213149, China.
² Alan G. MacDiarmid NanoTech Institute, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA. Jiangnan Graphene Research Institute, Changzhou 213149, China.
³ Alan G. MacDiarmid NanoTech Institute, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA. Applied Physics Department, State University of Campinas, Campinas, SP 13081-970, Brazil.
⁴ Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Photovoltaic Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China. Micro/Nano Science and Technology Center, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China.
⁵ Alan G. MacDiarmid NanoTech Institute, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA.
⁶ High-Performance Materials Institute, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA.
⁷ Applied Physics Department, State University of Campinas, Campinas, SP 13081-970, Brazil.
⁸ Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Photovoltaic Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China. Jiangnan Graphene Research Institute, Changzhou 213149, China.
⁹ Jiangnan Graphene Research Institute, Changzhou 213149, China. Institute of Materials Physics, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin 300384, China.
¹⁰ Jiangnan Graphene Research Institute, Changzhou 213149, China.
¹¹ School of Astronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA.
¹² Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA.
¹³ Lintec of America, Nano-Science and Technology Center, Richardson, TX 75081, USA.

PMID: 26206929
DOI: 10.1126/science.aaa7952

Abstract

Superelastic conducting fibers with improved properties and functionalities are needed for diverse applications. Here we report the fabrication of highly stretchable (up to 1320%) sheath-core conducting fibers created by wrapping carbon nanotube sheets oriented in the fiber direction on stretched rubber fiber cores. The resulting structure exhibited distinct short- and long-period sheath buckling that occurred reversibly out of phase in the axial and belt directions, enabling a resistance change of less than 5% for a 1000% stretch. By including other rubber and carbon nanotube sheath layers, we demonstrated strain sensors generating an 860% capacitance change and electrically powered torsional muscles operating reversibly by a coupled tension-to-torsion actuation mechanism. Using theory, we quantitatively explain the complementary effects of an increase in muscle length and a large positive Poisson's ratio on torsional actuation and electronic properties.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Elastic Tissue*
Elasticity
Electric Capacitance
Electronics*
Muscle, Skeletal*
Nanotubes, Carbon*
Torsion, Mechanical

Substances

Nanotubes, Carbon