Flexible strain sensor based on carbonized corn stalk with three-dimensional network

Abstract

A simple, affordable, and scalable approach was used to construct a highly flexible strain sensor using sustainable biomass materials. Carbonization was used to transform corn stalk, which is obtained from renewable and abundant cellulose, into a three-dimensional conductive network. A carbonized corn stalk (CCS)-based strain sensor was developed, which exhibits excellent durability (>700 cycles), minimal hysteresis (70 ms response time), and superior flexibility (∼90 % resilience). The distinct three-dimensional structure of corn stalk with aligned cavities, which is preserved in CCS, is the source of its sensing capabilities in three dimensions. Furthermore, the practical application in wearable electronics and intelligent robots of CCS strain sensors is demonstrated by testing human motion detection. • Biomass corn stalk was first transformed to conductive carbon materials via carbonization process. • Carbonized corn stalk (CCS) was encapsulated by the biocompatible resin to constructed the CCS strain sensor. • CCS strain sensor possess good sensitivity and wide strain range, supplying a wearable flexible device.