A shape-deformable liquid-metal-filled magnetorheological plastomer sensor with a magnetic field “on-off” switch
Jiaqi Xu,
Haoming Pang,
Xinglong Gong,
Lei Pei,
Shouhu Xuan
Affiliations
Jiaqi Xu
CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, Department of Modern Mechanics, CAS Center for Excellence in Complex System Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, PR China
Haoming Pang
CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, Department of Modern Mechanics, CAS Center for Excellence in Complex System Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, PR China
Xinglong Gong
CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, Department of Modern Mechanics, CAS Center for Excellence in Complex System Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, PR China; Corresponding author
Lei Pei
CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, Department of Modern Mechanics, CAS Center for Excellence in Complex System Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, PR China
Shouhu Xuan
CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, Department of Modern Mechanics, CAS Center for Excellence in Complex System Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, PR China; Corresponding author
Summary: Flexible viscoelastic sensors have gained significant attention in wearable devices owing to their exceptional strain-dependent electrical resistance. Most of the strain sensors are elastic composites, thus the internal stress is often preserved during the deformation when they are attached to the uneven target. Therefore, there is a pressing need for viscoelastic composites with highly self-adapted electromechanical properties sensitive to multiexternal circumstances. This work reports a liquid-metal-filled magnetorheological plastomer (LMMRP) that shows a high response behavior to the external stimulus such as magnetic field, temperature, and force. The shape-deformable LMMRP can transform from an insulator to a conductor under applying a magnetic field, thus the further viscoelastic sensor possesses a magnetic field “on-off” switch effect. The microstructure-dependent magnetic/thermal/mechanical-electrical coupling characteristics are investigated, and several proof-of-concept sensor applications, such as magnetic control, environment recognition, and motion monitoring, are demonstrated. These LMMRP composites show a broad potential in flexible sensors and soft electronics.
