Multifunctional Sensors Based on a Silver Nanowires/PDMS Aerogel Composite

A multifunctional sensor that combines force/strain and temperature sensing functions into a single element is much more advantageous in saving space and avoiding technical complexity than integrating multiple sensing elements together. In this work, we realized force/strain and temperature sensing with a lightweight aerogel composite of silver nanowires and poly(dimethylsiloxane) (AgNWs/PDMS). The AgNWs/PDMS aerogel composite was prepared using a sugar cube as a sacrificial template, and the AgNWs were uniformly distributed on the inner surface of the porous structure. Multifunctional sensors made of the AgNWs/PDMS aerogel composite show sensitive responses to various stimuli in resistivity. When serving as a force/strain sensor, it exhibits an excellent sensitivity (gauge factor ∼32) in the strain range of 60–90%. While working as a temperature sensor, the multifunctional sensor presents a temperature sensitivity of 0.33%/°C. Moreover, the porous aerogel structures can also be used to absorb pollutants such as oil and organic solvents, which will make them revive once their sensing function degrades. The proposed composite shows great potential in multifunctional wearable devices, sensor arrays for the Internet of things, and pollutant cleaning.