Washable, transparent and self-sustained sensor based on transparent stretchable electrodes

Abstract With the continuous advancement of technology, flexible electronic devices are gradually becoming integrated into our daily lives. These devices exhibit remarkable properties such as flexibility, bending capability, and resilience in harsh environments. One particular challenge in the development of these devices is achieving a balance between transparency and conductivity for flexible transparent stretchable electrodes. In this article, we use thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), silver nanowires (AgNW), and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to fabricate a stretchable, transparent and self-sustained multifunctional sensor, which retains its functionality even after being washed in water for 16 minutes with stirring speed of 100 r/min. The TPU/AgNW electrode has a high transparency (85.26 %) and conductivity (7.04 Ω/sq) with third spin-coating process. When it stretch up to 80%, it also sustain excellent conductivity (6.4 kΩ). The flexible self-powered pressure sensor has high transparency, and it maintains excellent sensing performance of high pressure sensitivity (0.01499 V/kPa) and has fast response time (20 ms), demonstrating excellent pressure sensing characteristics. The sensing performance decreases by only 24% when the deformation reaches 100%.