Elastomeric Polymers for Conductive Layers of Flexible Sensors:
Materials, Fabrication, Performance, and Applications
Abstract
In the wave of the Internet era created by computer and communication
technology, flexible sensors play an important role in accurately
collecting information owing to their excellent flexibility, ductility,
freeform bending or folding, and versatile structural shapes. By
endowing elastomeric polymers with conductivity, researchers have
recently devoted extensive efforts toward developing high-performance
flexible sensors based on elastomeric conductive layers and exploring
their potential applications in diverse fields ranging from project
manufacturing to daily life. This review reports the recent advancements
in elastomeric polymers used to make conductive layers, as well as the
relationships between elastomeric polymers and the performance and
application of flexible sensors are comprehensively summarized. First,
the principles and methods for using elastomeric polymers to construct
conductive layers are provided. Then, the fundamental design, unique
properties, and underlying mechanisms in different flexible sensors
(pressure/strain, temperature, humidity) and their related applications
are revealed. Finally, this review concludes with a perspective on the
challenges and future directions of high-performance flexible sensors.