Open Access

REVIEW

Recent Progress in Cellulose-Based Flexible Sensors

Ningli An¹, Jingxuan Qin¹, Xing Zhou¹, Quandai Wang², Changqing Fang^1,*, Jiapeng Guo², Bin Nan²

1 Faculty of Printing, Packaging Engineering and Digital Media Technology, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an, 710048, China
2 School of Mechanical and Precision Instrument Engineering, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an, 710048, China

* Corresponding Author: Changqing Fang. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Green, Recycled and Intelligent Technologies in Printing and Packaging)

Journal of Renewable Materials 2022, 10(9), 2319-2334. https://doi.org/10.32604/jrm.2022.021030

Received 24 December 2021; Accepted 21 February 2022; Issue published 30 May 2022

Abstract

Flexible sensors are attractive due to potential applications in body exercise and ambient gas monitoring systems. Cellulose and its derivatives have combined superiorities such as intrinsic and structural flexibility, ease of chemical functionalization, moisture sensitivity, and mechanical stability, enabling them to be promising candidates as flexible supporting substrates and flexible sensitive materials. Significant progress consequently has been achieved to improve mechanical, electrical, and chemical performance. The latest advance in materials synthesis, structure design, fabrication control, and working mechanism of novel cellulose-based flexible sensors are reviewed and discussed, including strain sensors, humidity sensors, and harmful gas sensors. Various strategies were summarized to enhance sensor performance by surface group modifications, inorganic and organic conducting fillers optimization, multilayer structure design. Newly emerged processing techniques of self-assembly, vacuum filtration, and 3D printing were introduced as well to construct multiscale microstructures. The integration of multiple sensors toward smart and healthy exercise monitoring system is briefly reviewed. The facing challenges and future opportunities of cellulose-based flexible sensors were discussed and proposed at the end. This review provides inspiration and guidelines on how to design and fabricate cellulose-based flexible sensors.

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