Flexible Piezoresistive Sensor with the Microarray Structure Based on Self-Assembly of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

High-performance flexible pressure sensors have great application prospects in numerous fields, including the robot skin, intelligent prosthetic hands and wearable devices. In the present study, a novel type of flexible piezoresistive sensor is presented. The proposed sensor has remarkable superiorities, including high sensitivity, high repeatability, a simple manufacturing procedure and low initial cost. In this sensor, multi-walled carbon nanotubes were assembled onto a polydimethylsiloxane film with a pyramidal microarray structure through a layer-by-layer self-assembly system. It was found that when the applied external pressure deformed the pyramid microarray structure on the surface of the polydimethylsiloxane film, the resistance of the sensor varied linearly as the pressure changed. Tests that were performed on sensor samples with different self-assembled layers showed that the pressure sensitivity of the sensor could reach − 2.65 kPa − 1 , which ensured the high dynamic response ability and the high stability of the sensor. Moreover, it was proven that the sensor could be applied as a strain sensor under the tensile force to reflect the stretching extent or the bending object. Finally, a flexible pressure sensor was installed on five fingers and the back of the middle finger of a glove. The obtained results from grabbing different weights and different shapes of objects showed that the flexible pressure sensor not only reflected the change in the finger tactility during the grasping process, but also reflected the bending degree of fingers, which had a significant practical prospect.