Deep Eutectic Solvent Induced Porous Conductive Composite for Fully Printed Piezoresistive Pressure Sensor

Abstract

Abstract Manufacturing flexible pressure sensor using scalable and straightforward process is highly desired for next‐generation wearable electronics and intelligent robots. Here, a fully printed pressure sensor is proposed using a newly developed porous conductive composite. The composite ink is prepared by simply mixing the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), carbon black (CB), and a deep eutectic solvent (DES). The DES induces phase segregation between the PDMS and CB and serves as a liquid template to form the porous structure during the annealing process. This spontaneously formed conductive architecture that has not been previously reported in a printable ink endows superior electrical–mechanical performance to the composites, and significantly simplifies the device fabrication of flexible pressure sensors. The developed pressure sensors exhibit comprehensive performance capabilities appropriate for the wearable device, human–machine interfaces, and robot tactile.