Potential of flexible and highly sensitive sensors based on polymer-carbon-nanomaterials composites: towards a new generation of sensors

Abstract

Abstract Nanocomposite films based on carbonaceous materials and polymers offer an innovative technological approach for realizing scalable and flexible sensors with high sensitivity and low manufacturing costs. This novel approach leads to sensors; which outperform conventional sensors and have decisive advantages, e.g., adjustable measurement range, high sensitivity, high robustness, flexibility, and scalability. Manifold carbonaceous nano-materials-based sensors having new principles can be realized for measurands such as temperature, humidity, strain, and pressure. These sensors can be realized with low costs without the need for cleanrooms and are affordable even if only a small number of sensors is produced. Due to their flexibility and low layer thickness, they can be easily integrated into materials and structures. In this paper, we provide a critical survey on the potential of sensors based on carbonaceous nanomaterials and polymers and highlight their principles, manufacturing procedures, and resulting properties. We discuss sensor properties going much beyond sensors realized with classical technologies, mainly due to novel principles and outstanding properties of nanomaterials.