Paper MN-ThP5
Flexible Nanocomposite Sensors for Biomedical and Energy Harvesting Applications

Thursday, October 25, 2018, 6:00 pm, Room Hall B

Recently, an increase in demand for sensors for biomedical and ambient energy harvesting applications has led to the development of new hypersensitive smart materials. Biomedical sensors need to be able to be both lightweight, flexible and demonstrate high piezoresistive resolution. In order to meet the pressure sensor requirements for the next generation of prosthetics, efforts were made to develop and characterize multifunctional smart flexible nanocomposite films. The developed improved films could be used for both biomedical and energy harvesting applications. Nanocomposites PVDF and P(VDF-TrFE) film-sensors were fabricated via embedding smart nanocomposites particles along with a variety of carbon nano-particles via the modified solution casting method. The fabrication methods involved in this study aimed at improving the sensitivity of sensors while maintaining flexibility and cost efficiency. The fabricated films were characterized by infrared and dielectric spectroscopy; performance of the sensors was determined via customized strain measurement and energy harvester testing system. Results obtained will be described along with unique features of system developed for performance determination. [This work is funded by NSF-HRD-1546965 grant.]