Flexible humidity sensor based on PEDOT:PSS/Mxene nanocomposite

Abstract

Abstract Flexible humidity sensor is essential in emerging applications including health care monitoring, soft robots, human-machine interfaces and noncontact measurements for important indicators. This study presents the development of a highly efficient flexible humidity sensor utilizing a nanocomposite of poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly (styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and Mxene as the sensing material coated onto a flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrate. The nanocomposite was thoroughly characterized using UV/Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscope and Fourier-transmission infrared spectroscopy to assess its quality, morphology, and chemical functional groups. The results show a good linkage of p-type PEDOT:PSS and p-type Mxene sensing nanocomposite. The PEDOT:PSS/Mxene humidity sensor exhibits high sensitivity of 3.27%ΔR/%ΔRH at room temperature. The PEDOT:PSS/MXene nanocomposite offers an enhanced humidity performance by synergies of direct charge transfer and swelling mechanism as well as hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interaction.